Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association on Sunday said that the first batch of more than 70 Indian students; the majority of them from Jammu and Kashmir along with several pilgrims who had been stranded in Iran amid the ongoing war-like situation in the region, safely arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi on a commercial flight this morning as part of the initial phase of the evacuation process.
In a statement, National Convenor of the Association Nasir Khuehami said that the students returned to India via a connecting journey through Armenia and Dubai after undertaking a long and difficult land and air transit arranged in coordination with the concerned authorities.
He said the students travelled from different cities in Iran by buses and crossed into Armenia, from where they boarded a Flydubai flight from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan to Dubai. From Dubai, the passengers boarded another connecting Flydubai flight that landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 9:45 AM on Sunday.
Khuehami said the majority of the returning students had been studying at various universities across Iran, including Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and other universities across the country. Many of them had earlier been relocated to safer locations by the Indian Embassy in Tehran amid the deteriorating security situation.
He said the evacuation was made possible following coordinated efforts between the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan, and other concerned authorities after the matter was taken up with senior officials.
He added that the students in this batch returned to India on commercial flights, as part of an initial evacuation arrangement facilitated through diplomatic coordination and the support of Indian missions.
The Association expressed gratitude to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Tehran for facilitating the safe evacuation and ensuring the students’ return to India during a challenging situation.
Khuehami said that, “This development has brought much-needed relief to students and families across Kashmir who had been deeply worried about the safety of their children in the conflict-affected region.
Khuehami further said that there is an urgent need for the government to launch a full-fledged evacuation operation, similar to the large-scale evacuation carried out during the Ukraine crisis and the evacuation undertaken during last year’s 12-day war-like situation in Iran, to ensure the safe and timely return of all Indian students still stranded in different parts of the country.
He also added that AC sleeper buses were arranged by the Jammu and Kashmir Government for the students’ onward journey after their arrival in Delhi. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister made the necessary arrangements to ensure their smooth return to their homes.
The sleeper buses were deployed to facilitate the safe and comfortable transportation of the students and pilgrims back to Jammu and Kashmir. The sleeper coaches were stationed in the parking area on the left side of the exit gate at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, to assist the arriving students, he said.
These arrangements were put in place to ensure a seamless transition for the returnees after their long and difficult journey from Iran via Armenia and Dubai.
Khuehami, however, added that many students were exhausted due to continuous travel over the past several days, having undertaken long road and air journeys before finally reaching India. He said while some students opted to board the arranged buses for their onward journey to Jammu and Kashmir, while others directly booked connecting flights to Srinagar due to fatigue and the long duration of travel.
