Srinagar, Jan 14 (KNO): Just two days after a Kashmiri student in Tehran sparked a moment of relief among families with reports of their children’s safety, fears have resurfaced as the situation in Iran worsens. The fragile calm has given way to panic as parents desperately seek urgent evacuation for their children stranded in Iranian cities.
On Wednesday, dozens of distressed parents gathered at the Press Colony in Srinagar, urging the Government of India to act swiftly. They appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, and the J&K administration to prioritise the evacuation of their children amid the rapidly escalating situation in Iran.
“We are not sleeping at night. Every hour feels like a day,” lamented one father, whose daughter studies at Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), he added, “We don’t know what is happening there. Internet is gone, the money channels are blocked, and even calls don’t go through. My child just said, ‘Baba, please get us out of here.’ How do I answer her?”
Another parent said, “We trust our government’s capability. They rescued students from Ukraine before. But asking our children to manage their evacuation alone is unrealistic. They have no money, no flights, and no communication network.”
The Indian Embassy in Tehran, in its latest advisory issued on January 14 and accessed by KNO, urged all Indian nationals, including students, pilgrims, businesspersons, and tourists, to “leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights”, citing the “evolving situation” in the country.
This advisory has intensified families’ fears, leaving them feeling “helpless but hopeful”. “We are not blaming anyone,” said another parent. “We know the government can act swiftly. But please, act before it’s too late. If even one student is harmed, who will take responsibility?”
Parents said that earlier reassurance came from messages circulated among small parent networks, confirming their children’s safety inside university hostels. “But since the weekend, even those updates have stopped. The embassy says leave on your own, but how can they? It’s chaos there,” said a father from Pulwama, whose son studies in Shiraz.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has again appealed to the Government of India to facilitate evacuation if the situation worsens.
“Nearly 2,000 Kashmiri students are enrolled across various Iranian provinces, including Tehran, Urumiyeh, Shiraz, Esfahan, and Mazandaran,” said JKSA’s National Convenor Nasir Khuehami. “Parents are breaking down during calls. We have requested round-the-clock communication lines between the embassy and students, along with an emergency evacuation plan if things deteriorate further.”
However, parents say that reassurance is no longer enough. “We don’t need just statements; we need action,” said another parent. “Our children are stuck thousands of kilometres away with no way to reach us. We appeal to the Prime Minister, Jaishankar sahib, please, bring them home. That’s all we ask.”—(KNO)