Amid the escalating war-like situation between Iran and Israel, India has launched “Operation Indus”, giving top priority to the security of its citizens. Under this special campaign, the Indian government has accelerated the safe evacuation of thousands of Indians trapped in Iran. The first news of relief came on Thursday morning, when the first batch of over 100 Indian students reached Delhi safely.
Missiles return home
The students who returned to their homeland described the situation there as heart-wrenching. Yasir Ghaffar, a student, said, “Missiles were passing over us at night, there were explosions in the sky. There was always an atmosphere of fear. But as soon as we stepped on Indian soil, we felt a sense of relief.” Students say that as the situation worsened, their university administration started sending them to safer places. Many students were first taken from northern Iran to Armenia, then brought to India via Qatar.
Over 4,000 Indians, half students
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, there are currently around 4,000 Indian citizens in Iran, of which around 2,000 are students. The Government of India is constantly in touch with the governments of Iran and Armenia for the safety of these students. So far 110 students have been evacuated safely from the northern areas.
Students were expelled from many medical universities
The Ministry of External Affairs informed that all Indian students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University and Iran University of Medical Sciences have already been sent to safe places. Students from Shaheed Beheshti University were flown to the city of Qom, while the evacuation of students from Shiraz and Isfahan universities continued on Tuesday.
Stay in touch with Indian citizens
The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that the Indian Embassy and the Control Room in New Delhi are active 24×7 in this hour of crisis. All Indian citizens have been advised to remain vigilant till the situation normalizes and if necessary, leave for safe places outside Tehran.
The family expressed their gratitude
The families of the students who arrived in Delhi became emotional seeing their children. One student’s father said, “My son was studying MBBS. Now he has returned home safely, we are thankful to the Indian government for this. However, many students are still stuck in Tehran and surrounding areas, who need to be evacuated soon.”
The student said – If the situation improves, he will go back to study
Praising the government’s efforts, the students said that they have not given up on their dreams. A student said, “We will return to complete studies when the situation is normal, but safety is the highest priority at the moment.”