Meghalaya-bound Odisha NCC cadets stranded in Guwahati

A group of NCC cadets of Odisha, who were on their way to Shillong in Meghalaya to attend a national camp have been stranded in Guwahati for about a week due to the agitation against the amended Citizenship Act in Assam, an official said here on Wednesday.

All the cadets were safe in an Army camp at Narangi near Guwahati, an NCC officer said.

As many as 65 cadets 40 college and 25 school students - of different districts under NCC Group, Berhampur, were going to Shillong to take part in the week-long North Eastern Region (NER) trekking camp, he said.

The trekking camp started from December 11 and ended on Wednesday.

The cadets were unable to proceed towards Meghalaya from Assam on December 11 due to the curfew imposed in Guwahati and police restriction on their movement.

"We could not attend the national NER trekking camp held at Shillong due to the agitation in Assam," said Gopal Mishra, the NCC officer in City High School here who accompanied the cadets.

Their return journey, scheduled on Thursday, is uncertain due to train movement being affected by the agitation in different states.

Meanwhile, parents of the NCC cadets are worried.

"We are very much worried about the safety of my son. We talk daily about the situation and condition of the cadets over phone," said Bipra Charan Sahu of Nuapada.

His son Siba Shankar Sahu of City College here is one of the cadets in the Army camp.

Mishra said the officers of Second Odisha NCC Battalion, Gandhi Nagar, here are arranging for safe return of the cadets to Berhampur.

"There is no cause for worry. We are safe and will return after train services become normal," he added.