Bengal workers flee Imphal in droves
Migrants at the Dharmasala relief camp in Imphal on Saturday
Imphal, Jun 15 : Terror-stricken migrant workers from Bengal took the first bus out of Manipur this morning, while their less solvent brethren sat huddled in relief camps wishing they had enough money to pay their fare out of the killing field.
Early this morning, at least 20 migrants left Dharamsala relief camp, opened by the government in the city, and boarded buses for Bengal.
Nearly 250 migrants, including 130 Bengalis, were collected by police from in and around Imphal city and sheltered at two relief camps.
Assurances by Manipur authorities to provide protection could not arrest the exodus.
Six migrants from Bengal were called out of their huts on the Central Agricultural University campus on Thursday night, made to sit in a row on a football field, and shot from behind.
While four were killed, two escaped, one with a minor injury. The four bodies were flown to Bengal yesterday.
A commandant of the Bengal armed police, S. Sherpa, visited those huddled in the Dharamsala relief camp yesterday afternoon.
He will submit a report to the Bengal director-general of police.
“We briefed him about the situation in Manipur. He told us that the Manipur government would provide us security and asked us to stay at the camp for some time till the situation improved. He also promised help from the Bengal government,” said Sanjay Naiya from 24 Parganas, one of the 110 migrants at the relief camp.
The police official also met the inspector-general of police (law and order-III), V. Zathang, who is also the officiating director-general of police.
“He (Sherpa) came here to take the four bodies. I briefed him about the efforts we are making to arrest the culprits and the security measures. He assured me that no harm would come to Manipuris living in Bengal,” Zathang said.
The Bengalis staying at the relief camp now desperately want to return home.
“We want to go home. But we do not have money for the fare. Our contractor, Binod Mandal, is away in Calcutta. We do not know what to do,” Sanjay said.
One of the victims of the university campus was a brother of the contractor.
The migrants are likely to request the state government to fund their trip home.
The district administration has been providing the migrants Rs 60 each day for their food.
The management of the Dharamsala and Bheirodan High School, located nearby, are also helping with food.
“There is no problem about safety, food and lodging. We are making all possible arrangements to help the migrants. We will keep them here till the situation turns normal,” an official posted at Dharamsala relief camp said.
There were no further attacks on migrants since the campus strike, though the police have not been able to name the culprits in the case as yet.
Twenty-two migrants have been killed in Manipur since February this year.
The All-Manipur Construction Workers Union demanded an inquiry into the migrant killing cases and ex gratia to relatives of the victims.
Political parties, including the CPI, a partner in the Okram Ibobi Singh-led coalition, the BJP, the Manipur People’s Party and the Nationalist Congress Party have also condemned the killings.
Migrants at the Dharmasala relief camp in Imphal on Saturday
Imphal, Jun 15 : Terror-stricken migrant workers from Bengal took the first bus out of Manipur this morning, while their less solvent brethren sat huddled in relief camps wishing they had enough money to pay their fare out of the killing field.
Early this morning, at least 20 migrants left Dharamsala relief camp, opened by the government in the city, and boarded buses for Bengal.
Nearly 250 migrants, including 130 Bengalis, were collected by police from in and around Imphal city and sheltered at two relief camps.
Assurances by Manipur authorities to provide protection could not arrest the exodus.
Six migrants from Bengal were called out of their huts on the Central Agricultural University campus on Thursday night, made to sit in a row on a football field, and shot from behind.
While four were killed, two escaped, one with a minor injury. The four bodies were flown to Bengal yesterday.
A commandant of the Bengal armed police, S. Sherpa, visited those huddled in the Dharamsala relief camp yesterday afternoon.
He will submit a report to the Bengal director-general of police.
“We briefed him about the situation in Manipur. He told us that the Manipur government would provide us security and asked us to stay at the camp for some time till the situation improved. He also promised help from the Bengal government,” said Sanjay Naiya from 24 Parganas, one of the 110 migrants at the relief camp.
The police official also met the inspector-general of police (law and order-III), V. Zathang, who is also the officiating director-general of police.
“He (Sherpa) came here to take the four bodies. I briefed him about the efforts we are making to arrest the culprits and the security measures. He assured me that no harm would come to Manipuris living in Bengal,” Zathang said.
The Bengalis staying at the relief camp now desperately want to return home.
“We want to go home. But we do not have money for the fare. Our contractor, Binod Mandal, is away in Calcutta. We do not know what to do,” Sanjay said.
One of the victims of the university campus was a brother of the contractor.
The migrants are likely to request the state government to fund their trip home.
The district administration has been providing the migrants Rs 60 each day for their food.
The management of the Dharamsala and Bheirodan High School, located nearby, are also helping with food.
“There is no problem about safety, food and lodging. We are making all possible arrangements to help the migrants. We will keep them here till the situation turns normal,” an official posted at Dharamsala relief camp said.
There were no further attacks on migrants since the campus strike, though the police have not been able to name the culprits in the case as yet.
Twenty-two migrants have been killed in Manipur since February this year.
The All-Manipur Construction Workers Union demanded an inquiry into the migrant killing cases and ex gratia to relatives of the victims.
Political parties, including the CPI, a partner in the Okram Ibobi Singh-led coalition, the BJP, the Manipur People’s Party and the Nationalist Congress Party have also condemned the killings.
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