Thousands of students from across the country, including Kashmir, are stranded in Iran amid the present volatile situation.
JAMMU — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday spoke with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar regarding the safety of students from the union territory currently studying in Iran.
The CM said on X, “Just spoke to EAM about the evolving situation in Iran. He shared his assessment of the ground situation & the plans that the External Affairs Ministry is working on. I’m grateful for his assurance that all steps will be taken to safeguard the interests & lives of students & other people from J&K who are in Iran now”.
Omar Abdullah said S. Jaishankar assured that all steps will be taken to safeguard the interests and lives of students and other people from the union territory who are in Iran.
Thousands of students from across the country, including Kashmir, are stranded in Iran amid the present volatile situation. This has triggered deep fear and anxiety among parents about their children’s safety.
Meanwhile, former chief minister and president of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, has also urged S. Jaishankar and the Ministry of External Affairs to intervene urgently and ensure their safe return.
Mufti said on X, “Thousands of students from across the country including Kashmir are stranded in Iran amid the present volatile situation. This has triggered deep fear and anxiety with anguished parents desperately worried about their children’s safety. Urge @DrSJaishankar and @MEAIndia to intervene urgently and ensure their safe return.”
In J&K, the maximum number of students studying for various courses, including MBBS, belongs to the Valley.
In addition to this, scores of Shia Muslims from Jammu and Kashmir go each year to pay homage at various Muslim shrines and historical sites in Iran.
Even these days, reports indicate that dozens of Kashmiri Shia Muslims are in Iran as their families in the Valley are praying and eagerly waiting for their safe return.
J&K Students Association seeks evacuation of students from Iran
Earlier on Monday, J&K Students Association (JKSA) sought the help of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to evacuate Kashmiri students from Iran.
JKSA has urged the highest authorities to undertake urgent intervention to ensure the safety, security, dignity, and overall welfare of Indian students, particularly those from the Kashmir Valley, currently studying in Iran.
The Association said that due to the ongoing disturbances in Iran, parents of Kashmiri students are extremely distressed and anxious, fearing for the safety and well-being of their children.
National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, expressed grave concern over the situation of hundreds of Indian students, the majority of whom are from Jammu and Kashmir, who are pursuing MBBS and other professional medical courses in Iran owing to its affordable education system and long-standing academic and people-to-people ties with India.
Khuehami said many parents have been unable to establish contact with their wards for the past four days, intensifying fears about their safety. Phone calls are reportedly not connecting, messaging services remain inaccessible, and social media platforms, often the only means of reassurance, have largely fallen silent, causing acute psychological distress among families.
“JKSA has been receiving continuous distress calls from students and their families highlighting restricted mobility, sporadic internet shutdowns, lack of timely safety advisories, and the absence of visible contingency or evacuation measures,” he said. — IANS
