New Delhi: There was unmistakable relief on the faces of 70 Indian students and some pilgrims — stranded in Iran — as they arrived in New Delhi on a commercial
Flydubai flight from Armenia on Sunday morning. It was the first batch of Indian nationals — most of them from Jammu and Kashmir — who returned from the war-torn region. The batch had to undertake around four-day journey by road and air to come back to India.
Most of them heaved a sigh of relief after the safe landing. Most of the students were pursuing MBBS degree in Iran.
On their arrival, many students and pilgrims boarded special buses arranged by the Jammu and Kashmir government to reach home, while some chose to fly back to Srinagar.
What the students said
Naina Toiba, a 22-year-old final-year medical student from Anantnag, reportedly shared how she had faced intense anxiety amid the war and uncertainty. She said she could feel buildings shaking after police stations were bombed near her hostel. Even though the roar of fighter jets and loud noise of explosions continue to haunt her, she now felt safe as she had landed in India.
Another student, Tahir, a fifth-year MBBS student from Kupwara, reportedly said initially, only IRGC and Kurdish military bases were pounded, but later residential areas, schools and hospitals were struck by the US and Israeli forces. He also said that students had to borrow money from each other to sustain themselves. He said he was relieved that he is back home.
Students said vague university rules also delayed their departure. Another student from Srinagar revealed that universities initially sounded a warning to the students that if they leave before final examinations, their result could be marked as failed.
Students revealed some of them who could not afford flights home have shifted to the city of Qom. Tahir said he generally pays about Rs 25,000 for a round-trip ticket, but this trip back home cost him almost Rs 55,000 for a one-way flight.
What JKSA said
Jammu and Kashmir Students Union (JKSA) said that the evacuation was coordinated by the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan. They assisted in arranging the transit route via Armenia and Dubai.
Nasir Khuehami, national convener of the Jammu & Kashmir Students Association, reportedly said that this evacuation was a significant relief for the students and their anxious families back home.
Even though the first batch has returned safely, over 1,000 Indian students are still apparently stuck in Iran as there are no signs of the war ending soon.
Khuehami pointed out that many students are still in Dubai and are set to reach India on Monday. He urged the government to conduct a large-scale evacuation effort liked the one carried out during the Ukraine crisis and the one undertaken during last year’s 12-day war-like situation in Iran.
