9 hours ago
Karnataka students in Iran seek state government's help for evacuation
Bengaluru: Students from Karnataka studying medicine at Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, reached out to the state govt for help to evacuate them from Iran. The students are currently with Indian embassy officials amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
The students are in constant touch with their parents. The state govt said one of the students and his parents in Bengaluru reached out to it seeking help in their evacuation.
"Nine students are from Karnataka, of whom six are from Bengaluru. One student and his parents contacted us over the phone and expressed their fear and desire to return to India. Office of Non-Resident Committee vice chairperson Aarti Krishna wrote to the ministry of external affairs requesting it to take steps to immediately bring back the students.
We are yet to hear back from them," said a senior official.
"We are in constant touch with the officials concerned and are personally monitoring the situation," he said.
"The students are unable to sleep at night. The conflict zones are 15-20 minutes away from their campus. They can see missiles flying over their hostels. They are extremely anxious and reached out to the university and the Indian embassy," said Fayaz Ali, father of a student in Iran and resident of Austin Town in Bengaluru.
According to the parents, there are around 400 Indian students in the university.
Exams were underway for the students. "They were supposed to come back by August after the exams get over. However, the exams stopped midway," said Shabab Zehra, mother of Nadeem Hussain. Nadeem is a second-year student at the university.
"We are worried that the conflict will escalate and the students will be affected. We want them to come back safely as soon as possible," she said.
"The embassy created a WhatsApp group with parents and students, and we are constantly kept posted on the developments. Currently, the students are being taken to a safer city," Fayaz said.
Relatives in the state say there are students in other universities too.
Hassan Abbas Syed, a class 12 student at Alipur, Gowribidanur, said his sister is pursuing her fourth-year BDS at Tehran University of Medical Sciences where there are three more from Karnataka.
"They are being transported to a safer location in North Iran. One of their hospitals is very close to the conflict zone, and a blast happened quite close to it. When I last spoke to my sister, she said they have been instructed not to disclose the location but are being shifted and are in safe hands. Her internet connection has been patchy, and we have not been able to communicate frequently," he said.
Union minister HD Kumaraswamy said on X that he spoke to several Kannadigas stranded in Israel via video calls and enquired about their well-being and safety. "I assured them of taking urgent steps to ensure their safe and speedy return to their homeland and will hold talks with @MEAIndia."
He said he informed the students that the Union govt has taken "all necessary measures for the safety of Indian citizens in conflict-affected foreign countries..."
