Srinagar, June 19: The first batch of nine Kashmiri students stranded in Iran amid the escalating regional conflict returned home on Thursday under Operation Sindhu, marking the beginning of India’s coordinated evacuation effort.
Among the returnees was Saba Jan, a resident of Safa Kadal in downtown Srinagar, who was welcomed home by her emotional family.
“I am happy to have finally reached home. I travelled along with eight other students from Iran. I want to express my gratitude to Indian Embassy in Tehran and Indian officials stationed in Mashhad, who facilitated their movement and ensured their safety,” she said.
Saba said officials from the embassy contacted us and took care of us during the most stressful phase of our lives. The Embassy coordinated our stay and ensured we had meals and shelter,” she added.
“After enduring a 15-hour road journey in Iran and then a flight to Delhi, we expected some relief from the J&K government. But instead, we were asked to travel in RTC buses. It was physically and emotionally exhausting,” Saba said, adding that J&K administration should do more for students returning from conflict zones.
Another student, Bilal Ahmad from Anantnag, said they are grateful to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Iran for arranging our safe evacuation, but the absence of any representative from the J&K government at Delhi airport was disheartening. It felt like we were left to figure things out on our own.”
“The evacuation from Qom to Mashhad took nearly 15 hours. The Embassy staff and volunteers in Iran helped us throughout. But the moment we landed in Delhi, there was a stark contrast in support. Some of us paid for our flights, and others had no choice but to board sleeper buses,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) National convenor Nasir Khuehami told Rising Kashmir that their main demand remains air connectivity from Delhi to Srinagar. We appreciate the prompt intervention of the Chief Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani Sahab, who ensured that comfortable buses were arranged for the students,” he said.
The evacuated group included 52 male and 42 female students, most of them from Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam, Anantnag, and Pulwama. The families of other stranded students continue to wait anxiously for updates and have urged the government to expedite the remaining evacuations.
Khuehami said, “Around 600 Indian students, including 500 from Kashmir, have safely reached Mashhad from Qom. This is the second group of students who were earlier moved to Qom, where they remained for three days. Their evacuation process is currently underway.”
He said these students belong to various institutions, including Islamic Azad University, Iran University of Medical Sciences, and Shaheed Beheshti University. From Mashhad, they are expected to be transported to Turkmenistan, from where flights will take them to Delhi possibly by Friday.
“We are in constant communication with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Iran to ensure safe and smooth evacuation of all students,” he said.
On the safe return of the first batch to Srinagar, Nasir Khuehami expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister, saying, “We are thankful to the leadership for ensuring the safety and return of our students. We hope the remaining students will also be brought back home soon.”
Earlier, on Wednesday, 94 Kashmiri students were successfully evacuated and flown to Delhi from Iran. However, many of them had to make their own travel arrangements to reach Kashmir. Only nine managed to board flights to Srinagar at their own expense, while others were provided JKRTC sleeper buses following the CM’s intervention.
As Operation Sindhu continues, student bodies, families, and local leaders have called for sustained coordination, increased air support, and better on-ground arrangements to ensure that no student is left behind.
