JKSA urges PM Modi for emergency evacuation of Kashmiri students from Iran amid conflict
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 16 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the urgent evacuation of Kashmiri students from Iran amid escalating tensions in the Iran-Israel conflict.
'We, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), write to you with deep urgency and grave concern regarding the dire situation faced by hundreds of Kashmiri students currently studying in Iran, following the unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Iran and Israel,' JKSA said in the letter.
The JKSA urged the Prime Minister to direct External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take urgent steps to relocate the students to safer areas within Iran and initiate immediate evacuation efforts. This will provide much-needed relief and assurance to the distressed families back home, they said.
'Given the immediate risks and growing psychological toll, we urge your esteemed office to initiate urgent measures to protect and support these students. The situation demands not just monitoring, but real-time action,' the letter said.
They requested the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of External Affairs to establish dedicated and responsive communication lines between Indian students in Iran and the Indian Embassy in Tehran, and to disseminate verified safety information, emergency guidelines, and updates. A clear chain of communication must be activated so that students are not left in the dark amidst chaos, they said.
'We also request the formulation and immediate preparedness of a comprehensive evacuation plan. If the situation continues to escalate or critical infrastructure comes under sustained attack, timely evacuation could be the difference between life and death. The Government of India must take proactive steps and remain ready to act swiftly to bring our citizens home safely,' the letter read.
'Furthermore, the Ministry should urgently coordinate with the Iranian government and relevant international agencies to ensure the protection and, if necessary, the safe passage of Indian students. Diplomatic intervention is critical to prevent the students from being caught in military crossfire or denied mobility due to sudden border or airspace closures,' the letter added.
The JKSA said that the recent Israeli preemptive airstrikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, followed by a barrage of retaliatory drone and missile attacks by Iran, have brought the region to the brink of a full-scale conflict. This volatile security environment has left thousands of Indian students, majority of them from Kashmir valley, extremely vulnerable and exposed to immediate danger. These students had traveled to Iran to pursue professional education, particularly MBBS, due to the country's economically viable academic infrastructure. Now, they find themselves in the middle of an active military zone, fearful for their lives, the letter said. (ANI)
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