Security Forces Evacuate 51 Kuki Students from Manipur School Amid Safety Concerns
In a late-night operation on Sunday, security forces successfully evacuated 51 Kuki students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Ramva in Manipur's Ukhrul district. The students were relocated to JNV Kangpokpi following heightened safety concerns due to a recent flare-up of Kuki-Naga tensions in the area.
Police Operation and Community Support
Manipur Police confirmed on Monday that Ukhrul District Police coordinated the evacuation, transferring the students to Saikul Police Station for onward travel to Kangpokpi. The group consisted of 20 girls and 31 boys who had been under Assam Rifles protection for several days after being moved from their residential school, where Naga students form an overwhelming majority.
Police noted that some members of the public initially mistook the evacuation team for miscreants during the operation. "The support of TKS and its zonal units, particularly the president of Katho Katamnao Long, was crucial in de-escalating tensions," authorities stated. "Their efforts in persuading villagers across multiple areas ensured the safe evacuation of the students to Litan Police Station, despite heightened tensions."
Examination Arrangements and Safety Measures
Among the evacuated students, 18 are Class 10 and 12 board examinees scheduled to sit for CBSE examinations starting Tuesday. The Central Board of Secondary Education has permitted these students to take their exams from a different center following the relocation. "The Class X and XII examination centres of 18 students have been transferred to JNV Kangpokpi due to the prevailing law and order situation in the district," Manipur Police explained on social media platform X.
Aditya Prakash Singh, deputy commissioner at the Shillong regional office of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, emphasized that student safety was the top priority. "To avoid any unwanted clash, the Kuki students were shifted out. Safety of the students is our topmost priority," he stated.
Challenging Evacuation Journey
The evacuation convoy began its approximately 80-kilometer journey around midnight, navigating through hilly terrain and multiple checkpoints before reaching JNV Kangpokpi after about six hours. "During their journey, they were halted at many check posts, many of which are handled by tribal people. Guarded by security forces, the students were safely brought in several vehicles," Singh told reporters.
Authorities cited threat perception inputs from security forces as a key factor behind the relocation decision. The NVS regional office had been alerted by the school principal about safety concerns for Kuki students at Ukhrul-I JNV, located in a predominantly Naga-inhabited district. Before the relocation, Ukhrul-I JNV had about 10% Kuki students among its total strength of 540.
Background and Context
Ukhrul is among the few districts in India with two Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. Officials noted that there are reportedly no Kuki students remaining in JNV Ukhrul-II following this evacuation. The precautionary measure reflects ongoing ethnic tensions in the region that have necessitated extraordinary security measures to protect vulnerable student populations.
"We received some inputs from security personnel also that it was not safe to bring the Kuki students onto the Ukhrul school campus. So, we shifted all the Kuki students to Kangpokpi JNV," Singh added, explaining the comprehensive nature of the evacuation decision.
