Showing his humane side, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu spent Rs 60,000 from his own pocket for the evacuation of five local students stuck in violence-hit Manipur.A state government spokesperson here said on Monday that the Chief Minister immediately responded to an urgent text message by a stuck student and came up with Rs 60,000 for the students' evacuation back home.
He said that Sukhu instructed the state government officers to take necessary action to bring back the five students - Simran, Sujal Kaundal, and Ashwani Kumar of Mandi, Nawang Chhering of Kullu, and Keshav Singh of Hamirpur.
According to the state government official, three of them were pursuing studies at NIT Manipur, while the other two were studying at Khumban Lampak Sports Complex, National Sports University - both in Imphal.
The official said that the students were flown from Imphal to Kolkata and they will reach New Delhi later on Monday.The state government has also issued telephone numbers for evacuation of other Himachalis from Manipur. "The interested persons can contact on telephone numbers 89883-41921, 0177-2929688, 0177-2629439," he added.
At least 60 people, including women, have been killed and 231 people injured while 1,700 houses have been burned down in the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Monday.
On May 3, unprecedented violent clashes, attacks and arson broke out at various places during a 'Tribal Solidarity March' called by the All Tribal Students' Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.