BENGALURU: Karnataka Housing and Minority Welfare Minister, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Tuesday promised to bear the education cost and welfare of 29 girl students from Manipur who have migrated to Bengaluru while celebrating his birthday with the displaced childrens.
Zameer spent his 57th birthday with the Manipur girls who have taken shelter at St Teresa Educational Institutions in Chamarajpet, the constituency he represents. The minister announced that he would bear the education and welfare of those students and announced financial help of Rs 2 lakh, his office said in a press release.
Manipur has been witnessing violence since May 3, following the protests by the Kuki and Naga communities against the High Court’s order asking the state government to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the category of Scheduled Tribes (ST). Only STs can buy lands in hilly areas.
The majority Meitei community, which occupies the Imphal Valley and nearby areas, sought the ST status keeping in view their increasing population and increased requirement of land so that they could purchase lands in the hilly areas.
“Zameer Ahmed Khan interacted with the students and collected information about the prevailing situation in Manipur. The displaced students explained that they have come to Bengaluru in view of the dangerous situation in their home state, and also thanked St Teresa Education Institutions for giving them shelter. The students have to stay back here for at least seven years to complete their education and the minister promised to bear the cost of education and their welfare for the whole period,” read a release by the Housing and Minorities Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan’s office.
He said “The students are very safe here and he would make arrangements for anything they wanted. Later, he had breakfast with those Manipur students in the institution and also arranged for the dinner for other 250 students who are studying in the institution. The staff and teachers of the institute were present.”
As many as 200 students have come from Manipur to Bengaluru of which 29 students have taken shelter in this institution and others have been accommodated in other institutions. (ANI)