Darjeeling boarding school students reach plains, feel happy

The students of various boarding schools stranded in strife-torn Darjeeling hills have expressed happiness after their safe evacuation to the plains today.

"After Saturday's violence I thought I won't be able to return to the plains. But now I am really happy that I will be able to go back to my family," said Richard, a Philippine national and class XII student, who is all set to fly back to his country tonight.

Saturday was the second day of the indefinite shutdown by GJM when the hills were witness to violence and road blocks in protest against alleged killing of three party workers, besides burning of the effigy of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

GJM had given a 12-hour window to the school students today so that they can safely go to the plains as their vacations started from yesterday.

"The students have been evacuated safely. We had arranged for 54 vehicles and did not face any problem during the entire stretch of journey from Darjeeling to Siliguri," said a relieved Father Shanjumon of St Joseph's North Point School, which has nearly 400 boarders.

GJM activists at various check points verified the ID cards of the students travelling in the buses from their schools to the plains and gave them slips so that they do not face any problem during the journey.

They also arranged water and refreshments for the students.

Darjeeling is home to some of the oldest and renowned boarding schools of the country.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)