58 Afghan students return to Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Jan 25 (PTI) Fifty-eight of the 59 Afghanstudents, who left Ravenshaw University in Cuttack alleging"security problem", today returned to the state capital inorder to complete their studies.

"We returned to Orissa after the state governmentpromised safety and provision of different facilities,"Afghan students said here.

State government officials, varsity staff and localstudents welcomed the Afghan students at the railway station.

However, one student did not return today and waslikely to come back after some days, an official said.

The students were later taken in a bus to Patia areain the city where they would be kept till further arrangementwas made in Cuttack. "The students will be taken to Cuttack ina bus every day to attend classes," said varsity dean BijayMishra adding that extra classes would be arranged to make upthe loss days.

The students had left for New Delhi on January 18 aftertwo of them were injured in a group clash at the varsitycampus on January 13.

Their return followed a visit of the state HigherEducation minister Debi Prasad Mishra to New Delhi where heheld discussion with staff of Afghan embassy and ICCRofficials.

The Afghan students had taken admission in RavenshawUniversity in 2009 through an ICCR programme.

The police had been assigned responsibility of security ofthe foreign students, the minister said.