Stranded students continue to send distress calls
MASRAT NABI
SRINAGAR, April 15: Hundreds of J&K students, who are stranded in different parts of India due to COVID-19 lockdown have demanded immediate evacuation, saying they are gripped in fear and panic.
Although a batch of over 50 students who were earlier evacuated by the government of India from Iran and were kept under quarantine at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan were expected to reach their homes today, hundreds of other stranded students are constantly sending distress calls to the administration for their early evacuation.
At least 276 students from Kashmir, who were studying in Iran, and were evacuated in the wake of outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic were kept in quarantine facility at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Most of these students were pursuing MBBS and other courses in Iran, one of the worst hit countries of Covid-19.
Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today said that he was assured by the Lieutenant Governor on phone that the J&K administration will facilitate return of over 4500 students who are stuck up at Madhopur- Punjab and Jaisalmer -Rajasthan entry points from today.
Bukhari in a statement issued here also said that the J&K government will also facilitate the return of other students, pilgrims, businessmen who are stuck up in different states across India in coming days.
Few stranded students who talked to Kashmir Despatch said: “Our hostel has around 400 rooms and now we are only two girls here. It is true that our college hasn’t asked us to leave, but we are away from home. Anything can happen here.” Shugufta Hussian a student from Christ University Bangalore told Kashmir Despatch.
She also added: “We don’t know how long will this continue and we are about to suffer a mental breakdown. At a time when everyone is rushing home, we were pushed back and have been confined to the hostel. Most of the hostel staff have left and others would also leave, where will we go?”
In Punjab 14 Kashmiri students, including nine girls, who had returned from Pakistan via Attari-Wagah border on March 19 are stuck up in a quarantine facility. These students who belong to various district of Kashmir valley including Srinagar were quarantined at Swami Vivekanand Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre, which was converted into a quarantine centre to accommodate the people coming from other countries.
Their quarantine period got over on April 1. 2020 and they were issued medical fitness certificates also, but they have not been able to return to their homes.
“There were 29 people, hailing from other states, who came along with us and completed quarantine period with us but they have already gone to home. They belonged to Goa, UP, Bangluru and Kolkata. Why this kind of discrimination with us?” one of these student told Kashmir Despatch.
Another student from Kurnpanidhi group of institutes Bangalore said that from last few days they are trying to contact the administration but they are not responding.
“We are only six students in this building. We don’t have enough ration left. The Tiffin service have also been closed from last few days,” one of the nine students told Kashmir Despatch.
They also added: “All we want is to be at home. Even if we have to die, we want to die in Kashmir, in our home. We don’t want to die here.”
Though, a huge number of complaints have been received by Kashmir Despatch that the office of resident commissioner JK is not responding to the distress calls and trouble messages, a senior officer in the office of resident commissioner New Delhi rebutted these allegations. “Delay in accepting calls can be true but there is a dedicated staff of around 10 people who are working in a helpline set up by us to address the distress calls and emails of JK residents who are stuck in different parts of the country,” the officer working in the office of Resident Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir told Kashmir Despatch
