Manipur violence: Amid return rush, a one-way air ticket to Kolkata now going for Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000

KOLKATA: Imphal-to-Kolkata airfares are going for anything between Rs 22,000 and Rs 30,000, more than six to eight times the usual prices, fuelled by a scurry to leave Manipur by Kolkatans who stay in the state since violence broke out last week.
With thousands of passengers waiting outside Imphal airport, airlines that operate between Imphal and Kolkata said all their Kolkata-bound flights were running full. Travel agents said it was unlikely for airfares to come down in the next few days because of the prevailing situation, even as some airlines said they were operating extra flights to meet the demand.
"The situation is tense here in Imphal, and my family back home, worried about my safety, have been asking me to come back at the earliest," said a bank official from Behala, who has been posted in Imphal since last year. "Flight fares have hit the roof and nearly all flights to Kolkata and Guwahati are full. I have a confirmed ticket to Kolkata next week. I was trying to reschedule it the flights were either full or the tickets too expensive," he added.

The bank official said he was jittery since he saw two incidents of violence right in front of Ima Market in Imphal, where he stays. "On Thursday (May 4), we saw a mob setting fire to a car. The next day, there was firing right outside our home. The situation is scary but I have enough food to sustain me for the next few days. I have been staying home with doors and windows closed," he told TOI. He added that internet was still snapped in the city, but markets and shops were open for a few hours on Sunday. Public movement was largely restricted, and only those with air tickets were leaving homes.
"Such has been the rush of passengers leaving the city that the airport looks like a public bus stand or railway station, with many people sitting and sleeping on the floor waiting for their flights," said another Bengali living in Manipur, whose colleagues managed to fly home to Guwahati on Sunday.

Flights to Kolkata from Imphal full
According to an Airports Authority of India press release, 108 flights operated out of the Imphal airport between May 4 and May 6. It adds that the AAI also opened special food and snacks counters at the airport selling stuff at market rates, and that free food and water was being distributed to some stranded passengers.
Officials at Kolkata airport said all flights coming to the city from Imphal were full and there was a significant rise in demand. IndiGo operated two special additional flights from Imphal to Kolkata on Saturday and an extra ATR flight on Sunday. All three flights were packed to capacity.
"None of us knows the actual situation in Manipur," said MK, a doctor who works at an Imphal hospital, who came to Kolkata with a host of other doctors and students on Sunday. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had tweeted on Saturday expressing her anguish and concern about the Manipur situation. "Govt of Bengal is committed to stand by the people & has decided to make every effort to evacuate people stranded there in coordination with the Govt of Manipur. The Chief Secretary has been directed to monitor the entire process, to help people in distress and despair. We are always with the people. Urge everyone to maintain peace," she wrote.
(With inputs from Mayukh Sengupta)