After 94 students belonging to Jammu and Kashmir were evacuated from Iran and landed safely in Delhi on Thursday, June 19, they were faced with another problem: the poor condition of the buses provided for them to head back home.
“We had been assured that we will reach home safely but we have been abandoned, there is no one present here to talk to us…they have asked us to travel to Kashmir in SRTC busses but we have already been travelling for the past four days, we are not in a position to do so, even the flight tickets now are above Rs 20,000…we are very thankful to the government who brought us back but we kindly request them to help us get back home” said a Kashmiri student.
The J&K students association on their X page posted a few videos of the condition of the buses provided to the students, with the seats tattered. The students’ association alleged that while students from other states received airport facilitation and connecting flights to their destinations, students from Jammu and Kashmir were dumped in the SRTC buses.
In another post, they said, “Exhausted, distressed, and neglected. Is this the reward for their resilience? What’s stopping the J&K Govt from stepping up? Logistics? Willpower? Or just apathy? If it’s about funds, say it loud, we’ll launch a fundraiser for the JK Govt. We’ve done more with less before.”
Chief minister Omar Abdullah reacts
Reacting to this, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister took cognisance of the matter and assured that deluxe buses would be arranged for the students. “The chief minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,” the CMO said in a post on X.
Following this, sleeper deluxe buses reached Delhi, nearly 10 hours after the students landed, reported Free Press Kashmir.
Reacting to this, the J&K students association said that while they appreciate the prompt response, their primary demand remains connecting flights to Kashmir.
Students reach home
According to local reports, nine Kashmiri students have reached home. One of the students, Saba Rasool, a fourth-year MBBS student in Iran, spoke to the local media and expressed her gratitude towards the central government for evacuating them; however also expressed dissatisfaction with the state government over the buses. “We were very disappointed to see that STRC buses had been arranged for us, so some of us had to book our own tickets in an emergency and return home,” said Saba in an interview.
Approximately 1,500 Indian students, most of them from Jammu and Kashmir, are stranded in Iran amid the ongoing conflict with Israel. The government of India, through their embassy, is facilitating their relocation to safer places and eventual evacuation back home.
The first batch carrying 110 students landed in Delhi during the early hours of Thursday, June 19.
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