Bhubaneswar: In the second phase, 21 students of the National Sports University in Manipur returned to Bhubaneswar from the strife-torn northeastern state on Monday late at night.
Expressing their gratitude to the Odisha government for responding to their plea for evacuation and bringing them home safely, the students said that they contacted the Odisha authorities via WhatsApp from the National Agriculture University in Manipur seeking help from the government to help them return home.
Altogether 21 students returned to Bhubaneswar on Monday night and those from outside the state capital were put up at the Pantha Niwas for the night and left for their homes in different districts on Tuesday morning.
In a tweet, the CMO wrote, “Odisha ensured safe evacuation of 21 Odia students stranded in Imphal. The evacuated students thanked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Chief Secretary, and Secretary to CM (5T) for providing all the support & help. OTDC and Directorate of Odisha Mo Paribar facilitated their lodging, boarding & onward journey.”
Talking about their days in violence-hit Manipur, one student said, “We were kept under strict security in our hostels, but were scared as we heard the sounds of bomb blasts and firings coming from outside.”
Another student said, “We faced problems in getting food and other items in riot-hit Imphal. Even in normal times, food is scarce in Manipur, during the riot it became more difficult to get it.”
