Srinagar, Mar 10: As many as 600 Kashmiri students, who were moved from Tehran to Qom in Iran for their safety, now find themselves stuck in a difficult situation with little clarity on how they will return home, according to reports.
The students say their prospects of exiting through Armenia or travelling onward from there remain uncertain amid ongoing violence and regional instability, leaving them fearful for their safety.
Local leaders and student bodies have appealed for government intervention to facilitate a safe and affordable evacuation for those stranded, with many reportedly being advised to make their own arrangements through neighbouring countries — a move that has raised concerns due to the high costs and risks involved.
The situation adds to a broader crisis affecting Indian students in Iran, where many have been seeking relocation to safer areas and evacuation routes as hostilities continue.
While the boarding and lodging of students in Qom was being arranged by the Indian Embassy in Tehran, the lack of clarity regarding evacuation efforts has caused mental stress for both the students and their families back home. Housed in hotels in Qom, the students reported that at least four strikes have occurred in their vicinity.
A video recorded and shared by the students on social media showed that the strikes took place as close as 300 meters from their lodging.
“We were woken up at 4 am by loud explosions. There was smoke billowing from nearby areas,” a student told news agency
The students added that the hotel building shook during the strikes.
Amid escalating violence in Iran and the persistent threat to the lives of Kashmiri students and other Indian citizens, an expedited evacuation has become urgent. However, the students said they have no clarity on when or how they will be evacuated.
“The officials here told us they are waiting for directions from the Ministry of External Affairs on evacuation. Even now, they say every day that no further orders have been received,” a student told Greater Kashmir.
The students had been evacuated from Tehran, the worst-hit city in the ongoing conflict, to Qom, considered relatively safer. However, with violence spreading to Qom and other areas, their stay in Iran has also become perilous for students and foreign nationals.
The students reported that the journey to the Iran-Armenia border takes nearly 20 hours by bus, and they consider the journey unsafe.
Additionally, the airfare from Armenia to New Delhi is currently very high, making it impossible for the students to manage the travel costs.
“How can we make bookings or travel on our own? We need help from our Embassy,” the students pleaded. They were able to communicate with their families only after a week due to the internet blockade in the country.
Last year in June, the Ministry of External Affairs conducted ‘Operation Sindhu’ to bring back students and other stranded Indians from Iran. (Agency)
