Clash with Nagas: Police evacuate 51 Kuki students from Manipur’s Ukhrul
Imphal (PTI): The police have evacuated at least 51 Kuki students from a school in Manipur’s Naga-majority Ukhrul district as a precautionary measure, following clashes between the two communities, a statement said on Monday.
Tension had been simmering between Tangkhul Naga tribe and the Kukis in Ukhrul for more than a week, as around 30 houses were burnt during clashes at Litan Sareikhong area in Ukhrul district.
“The Ukhrul District Police have evacuated 51 students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Ramva School in Ukhrul and handed them over to the Saikul police station team for onward movement to the JNV in Kangpokpi district," the police said in a statement.
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Thirty-one male and 20 female students were sent to Kangpokpi, a Kuki-majority district.
Police said the students were evacuated as a precautionary measure due to the prevailing law and order situation in the district.
During the evacuation process, some members of the public mistook the students for miscreants, the police said, adding that local civil society organisations helped the administration in de-escalating tension.
"Their efforts in persuading villagers across the Shangshak, Ramva, Shokvao, TM Kasom, and S Laho areas ensured the safe evacuation of the students," the statement added.
Police also appealed to all communities to maintain restraint and refrain from spreading rumours.
The violence between the Kukis and the Nagas began following a drunken brawl between two groups on the evening of February 7 at Litan, a commercial town and home to both communities.
For nearly three years, Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities. It started in May 2023 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. At least 260 people lost their lives in the clashes, and thousands were displaced.
Presidents’ Rule was imposed in the state on February 13 last year, while the state got a new chief minister in Y Khemchand Singh, who was sworn in earlier this month.
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
