14 hours ago
Kashmiri Students Rescued From Conflict-Hit Iran, Praise Centre
It's jubilee time for two medical college friends, Humaira Saadiq and Sheikh Afsa, as they landed safely at Srinagar Airport. They consider themselves lucky to be rescued by the Government of India from war-torn Iran. It took them four days, moving from one city to another, to cross the Iran border into Armenia, from where they were airlifted by an Indian aircraft to return home.
Upon arrival in the Kashmir Valley, the Kashmiri students wholeheartedly appreciated the Indian Embassy for arranging transport to the airport and ensuring their security amid the conflict. They also expressed immense gratitude for the coordination of the central government. The leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was praised for their herculean efforts that enabled the students' safe return to India.
"I am feeling very good and calm. It was a very hectic journey for us. I feel so relieved to see my parents and be back home. The Government of India made 110 percent efforts to evacuate us. They did everything within their control. We are very thankful to them. We didn't get any sleep; sometimes we didn't even have food or water. But we kept going with the hope of seeing our parents—and we made it. It was a very bad situation. We didn't think we would survive, but we did," Humaira Saadiq said.
"I'm relieved to be home. Our families were under so much stress because of us. We kept trying to assure them that we were safe, but as parents, their concern was natural. We are so happy to be with them now and feel very safe. Mentally, we are still distressed by the situation. The last few days were very disturbing. We were terrified after seeing the bombings. The MEA did so much for us," Sheikh Afsa, another student, added.
Out of the 94 students who reached India this morning, many flew directly to their homes in Kashmir. For the others, the UT Government arranged buses from Delhi to Kashmir, which are scheduled to reach the valley on June 20.
While the evacuation was widely praised, students faced logistical challenges upon arriving in Delhi. The Jammu and Kashmir government arranged State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses to transport the students to Srinagar. However, many criticized the poor condition of the buses and the decision to make them travel by road after their traumatic 4-day journey from Iran via Armenia and Doha. Some felt the students were 'dumped' into SRTC buses. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) strongly criticized the government's treatment of the students, calling it a government failure.
"It's very unfortunate that our children, who were already traumatized in Iran, were rescued to Delhi—and then completely neglected. The state government should have received and consoled them. Instead, there was no support. The onward journey was in RTC buses when they should have been flown home. The state government is showing insensitivity toward its own children. We are thankful to the central government for the swift evacuation, but we must be more caring towards our children. Mehbooba Mufti is in touch with the MEA, and our only concern is ensuring that all students return safely to Kashmir," the PDP Spokesperson added.
The bus issue sparked widespread criticism of the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government. Even parents expressed dissatisfaction, saying that while they were thankful for the rescue, the state must be better prepared for the next batch of students.
Zahoor Ahmed, a parent, said, "We found out about the Iran attacks on Friday. When we saw the intensity, we were extremely worried. The internet there was slow, and communication was difficult. We contacted our local MP, who got in touch with the MEA. We're very thankful for their swift response. We expected the state government to bring our children home by air, not by buses. Their response was very poor."
The office of then-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the complaints and said the confusion was due to miscommunication. They clarified that 'proper deluxe buses' had been arranged for the onward journey to Kashmir.
Tanveer Saadiq, Chief Spokesperson of the National Conference and MLA, said, "We arranged deluxe buses from Delhi to Srinagar. The parents were extremely distressed. We will continue working until all our students are back from Iran. It was a big challenge for the MEA to bring them from Iran to Armenia due to the difficult terrain."
The evacuation of Kashmiri students from Iran was conducted under Operation Sindhu, a significant effort by the Indian Government to ensure the safety of its citizens amid the escalating Iran-Israel conflict. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that over 600 Indian students, primarily from Jammu and Kashmir, were relocated to safer areas within Iran, such as Qom, before further evacuation.
Additional flights are being planned. The Indian Embassy in Tehran has set up a 24/7 emergency helpline for students still stranded in Iran. As the situation there continues to worsen, families are growing more concerned and are urging the government to speed up evacuation efforts for their children.
