Happy to be back: 94 Kashmiri students evacuated from war-hit Iran land in Delhi

The first batch of 94 students from Kashmir, evacuated from Iran by the Central Government under Operation Sindhu, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning and began their onward journey to the Valley later in the day.

Amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the families of Kashmiri students studying in Iran, along with several political leaders, had been urging the Union Government to initiate immediate evacuation or relocate them to safer locations. Responding to the concerns, the Centre launched Operation Sindhu to bring back Indian nationals stranded in Iran.

Most of the students who landed in Delhi early Thursday belonged to Kashmir. “We are happy to be back in our country. The situation in Iran is quite bad,” said a student from South Kashmir, expressing gratitude to the Union Government for facilitating their evacuation.

However, after reaching Delhi, many students voiced dissatisfaction over the transportation facilities arranged by the Jammu and Kashmir government for their journey home, particularly criticising the poor condition of the buses.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association raised the issue with the Chief Minister’s Office, highlighting the “inadequate transportation arrangements” made for the evacuated students.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a post on X, confirmed that 94 students from Jammu and Kashmir had safely reached Delhi. “The government is making transport arrangements to ensure their smooth journey home, which will be in place within the next few hours,” he wrote.

In a subsequent post, Omar acknowledged the students’ concerns regarding the quality of buses and assured action. “The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,” he stated.

Later in the afternoon, students and officials confirmed that improved transportation had been arranged and the journey to Kashmir had commenced.

Some students who had made their own flight arrangements reached Srinagar on Thursday itself. Saba Rasool, a student who had been studying in Tehran, said she was relieved to be back home. “It was a difficult situation for us. Things escalated very quickly,” she said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for facilitating the evacuation. “We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon,” the association said in a statement.

J & K