Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 12: Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) has called on the Government to evacuate all the stranded Kashmiri Medical students from various Central Asian countries.
“Number of our MBBS students are presently in various Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Georgia etc. They have been appealing for evacuation but till date there seems to be plan of Government for them,” said G N Var, president PSAJK.
The Association said that the students are facing immense difficulties amidst the lockdown in these countries. “They are facing multiple problems. Like in Astana Medical College in Kazakhstan, the authorities have closed the hostel and forced the students, many among whom are girls from Kashmir, to shift to private accommodation. Be it getting money or buying grocery, everything has become a challenge for these students due to restrictions and lockdown,” said Var.
“Remember these students had already come out of trauma of living in curfew in Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. It is a double whammy for them. One can imagine their mental status which necessitates their immediate evacuation,” he said
The Association expressed their concern on the reports that students of several States like Rajasthan and Bihar have been evacuated and Kashmiri students ignored. “Some students have been calling us and informing that officials have told them that if they get a full flight only then Kashmiri students will be evacuated. It doesn’t make any sense that when they can evacuate students from other States, why making such excuses for Kashmiri students. There is always a solution to such small problems but authorities can’t deny evacuation to Kashmiri students,” said Var.
The Association called on the UT Government and Central Government to include all Kashmiri students in Central Asia in the evacuation plan which is currently underway. “Both UT and Central Government should chart out a plan to evacuate the students like they did for students from Bangladesh and Iran,” said Var.
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