Amid the deteriorating situation in West Asia, New Delhi “advised’’ Indian nationals to not travel till further notice to Iran and Israel-the two countries teetering on the brink of a major military escalation– putting on hold the departure of thousands of Indian pilgrims to Iran and construction workers to Israel.
According to Kashmir Media Service, this advisory has put hundreds of Kashmiri students, enrolled in various Iranian universities, in a quandary.
Speaking to the media, students expressed their concerns with some preparing to leave the country amidst growing safety concerns.
“There is news of retaliation by Iran and war everywhere, my roommate is winding her belongings and planning to leave the country for Lebanon which is causing fear among other students as well,” a student, studying in Imam Khomeini University in Qazvin, said.
She further said she is not sure whether she should leave or stay in Iran and is worried about the outbreak of a full-fledged war between arch rivals in the Middle East.
“My family back home is worried and I don’t know what I should do. My mother keeps weeping all the time and is worried for my safety,” she said.
Similar concerns were shared by another student from North Kashmir who travelled to Iran.
Speaking on anonymity, she said in view of the advisory issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, they were required to sign a document stating they were traveling at their own risk.
“At first, we were stopped from boarding a flight to Tehran, later we were allowed only after signing a bond that we were travelling on our own risk. We don’t know what will happen,” the student who studies in Isfahan told Kashmir Observer.
A worried parent, Shakil Ahmad, whose daughter studies in Iran, referred to Kashmiri students who had to abandon their universities in Ukraine after war broke out there two years back saying he fears what will happen if war prolongs and results in closure of airports. However he hastened to add that his daughter told him in her recent phone call that “Iran is not Ukraine and there is absolutely no panic among the people there”. “I also believe”, he added, that “Iran can, as it has in the past, handled crisis situations with maturity and sagacity”, he said.—KMS
