Srinagar, June 16: With every thud, Nazima crouches under the desk. A Kashmiri MBBS student in Tehran, she recites Quranic verses whenever the sirens blare.
This has been a routine for her for the last three days as the Iran-Israel conflict escalates with intensifying airstrikes and rising civilian casualties. “We can’t explain! It looks like doomsday. We can hear huge blasts and people in panic to save their lives,” she said.
A wave of panic and desperation has gripped over 1,300 Kashmiri students currently stranded in Iran.
Most of them, enrolled in various medical universities across cities like Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan, are calling on the Indian government to launch an urgent evacuation mission akin to “Operation Ganga” — the 2022 rescue effort that brought home thousands of Indians from war-torn Ukraine.
The MBBS students said any delay in their evacuation will threaten their lives as the conflict between the two countries is intensifying.
“Though we are not affected at all. But the Israeli forces have targeted many cities in Iran. We are not sure about our safety. Our government should act fast and rescue us like it did during the Ukraine crisis,” said Mir Mubashir, another student.
Back in Kashmir, the mood in the valley is one of collective anxiety. At a small house in Baramulla, Abdul Qadir held his phone tightly, watching his son anxiously on a video call from Tehran.
“My son says the market is shut. The local authorities have asked them to stockpile the food items. Hearing about the news of damage in civilian areas in Iran is depressing. We urge the Centre to evacuate the students as soon as possible,” Qadir said.
With air routes partially disrupted and ground transport unsafe due to the volatile situation, the window for safe evacuation is closing rapidly. Many students have begun packing essential belongings, hoping that the government will initiate an extraction mission in the coming days.
“We’re alive, but worried. We need our country to act, and act now,” said a Pulwama-based student who kept his identity hidden, fearing panicky at his home.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India is closely monitoring the security situation to ensure the safety and welfare of its nationals in both countries.
The MEA Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed that the Indian Embassy in Tehran is “continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety.”
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also said he was in touch with the Union Ministry of External Affairs and, if necessary, the decision to evacuate Kashmir students will be taken based on Iran’s ground situation.