09-05-2025
Tamil Nadu government opens help desk for the Tamils stranded in Jammu and Kashmir
In view of the rising tensions and hostilities in Jammu and Kashmir after Operation Sindoor was launched, the Tamil Nadu government has opened a help desk in the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi to offer the Tamils information, help, and rescue. This is in line with the instructions of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
Meanwhile, 52 Tamil Nadu students, studying at educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir, and four others on a trip to the region have requested the government for help in returning home. Minister S.M. Nasar and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board chairperson Karthikeya Sivasenapathy have spoken to these students on the phone.
As the flight services have been cancelled and it is considered unsafe to travel by road in Jammu and Kashmir, 'a majority of the students have felt that they will return to Tamil Nadu once the flight services resume,' the government said a release.
'The government has been continuously monitoring the situation. Once the situation became safe, the students would be brought to Tamil Nadu,' it said. Another four students, who were on an educational tour to Jammu and Kashmir, would reach Delhi by road on Friday evening, and they would be brought to Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Saturday, the release said.
The helpline numbers are: 011-24193300 (landline), 9289516712 (mobile number with WhatsApp), 1800 309 3793, +91 80 6900 9900, and +91 80 6900 9901. The Chief Minister has ordered that top priority be given to the safety and immediate return of the students, Mr. Sivasenapathy said.
The Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board was coordinating with the institutional authorities and local officials to ensure prompt action, he said. 'We have spoken to the Director and Assistant Director of NIFT, Srinagar, and to Thiru Aftab, IAS, a native of Kashmir and official of the Tamil Nadu cadre now overseeing development efforts in the region. He has assured us that once the situation stabilises, students will be brought back safely and at the earliest,' he said.
