Amidst tears and smiles, parents from Mortung village were joyfully reunited with their children on Wednesday at Leimakhong Military Station. A total of 47 students from Bloomingdale School and 15 children from Mount Calvary School had the chance to see their parents for the first time since the recent period of violence in Manipur.
These students are enrolled in boarding schools located near the Leimakhong Army station in the Kangpokpi district, which has also been severely affected by the violence. Leimakhong Hill Town, a small town in the Kangpokpi District of Manipur, is situated approximately 30 km away from the state capital, Imphal.
A significant number of children from inaccessible areas were studying in these two schools near Leimakhong Military Station. When violence broke out on the nights of May 3 and 4, the students, along with their teachers and wardens, sought refuge in the military station. Over the past seven days, they have been provided with essential care, including food, shelter, and medical assistance, by the Army.
On May 10, as per the request from the school principal, the parents were safely transported under protection from Mortung Village to Leimakhong. There, they experienced an emotional reunion with their children from Bloomingdale School (47 children) and Mount Calvary School (15 children). After the heartfelt reunion, the parents and children were safely taken back to Mortung.
One mother, holding her 8-year-old daughter named Mini, couldn’t hold back her tears of gratitude. She expressed, “Thank you all! I am finally seeing my daughter after two months. She was supposed to come home during the summer holidays. The last few days have been terribly worrisome, thinking about her. Thanks a lot."
Zoshu couldn’t contain his emotions as his young daughter saw him after being apart for so many days. The situation is gradually improving, and both parents, children, and teachers were safely returned to their respective villages.
Out of the 24,000 individuals in the camp, authorities report that 14,000 have already returned to their homes. The situation in Manipur is gradually stabilizing, but incidents like an armed attack on an area domination column in Dolaithabi at 11 am on Wednesday occurred. After firing a few rounds, the miscreants fled the scene. One Assam Rifles personnel sustained a gunshot wound but was safely evacuated to the Military Hospital via helicopter and is currently receiving treatment.
Efforts are being made to hold more peace meetings, but the emotional reunion of parents and children brought tears to their eyes.