Bisma Bhat
“I don’t have enough money in my pocket. There is only Rs 100 in my bank account. We are not allowed to venture out. If anyone is seen on roads, they are charged with heavy fines which we cannot afford at this time“
Srinagar, Mar 25: More than 1000 Kashmiri students have been left stranded in different parts of Kyrgyzstan after India stopped the entry of people from various coronavirus affected nations.
On March 17, the central government temporarily banned the entry of passengers from various corona affected countries as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the virus.
However, Kashmiri students studying in Kyrgyzstan are living under constant fear of getting infected since they are unable to return home.
“We have been vacated from the college hostels. Our hostels have been turned into quarantine centers. We are putting up in private accommodation,” said a student of Medical University at Osh.
She said most of the students are running out of money. “I don’t have enough money in my pocket. There is only Rs 100 in my bank account. We are not allowed to venture out. If anyone is seen on roads, they are charged with heavy fines which we cannot afford at this time,” she lamented.
Another Kashmiri student from Jalalabad Medical University said they have locked themselves since March 18 fearing infection.
“We want to return home. We want to see our parents again. There are 44 confirmed cases in Kyrgyzstan and the majority of them are from Osh and Jalalabad where we are staying. We request the Indian government kindly rescue us from this place as soon as possible,” he pleaded.
Principal secretary Rohit Kansal, Advisor Baseer Khan and deputy commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Choudhary were not available for comments.
Divisional Commissioner, Pandurang Kondbarao Pole, however, said that better is to contact Delhi on this issue.
