In a heartening display of national pride, 110 Indian medical students arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport early Thursday morning, waving miniature Indian flags. Their arrival marked a significant milestone as they were part of the first evacuation flight under Operation Sindhu. This operation, initiated by the Indian government, aimed to bring citizens back home amidst escalating tensions resulting from the Iran-Israel conflict.
The journey to safety was long and arduous. These young scholars traveled nearly 51 hours, covering over 600 kilometers to reach Armenia from their university in Urmiya, Iran. They boarded a special IndiGo flight from Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, at 2.55 PM local time on June 18. With a brief stopover in Doha, they took another special flight, finally landing in Delhi around 4:45 AM. The entire evacuation process was efficiently organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, with the Indian missions in Tehran and Armenia providing crucial support. Impressively, the government covered all the associated costs.
Among the 110 students, 94 hailed from Kashmir, with the rest coming from various Indian states such as Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. As the students stepped off the plane, excitement was palpable, although they did not have much time to reconnect with their families before the media descended to capture their stories.
Aman Nazar, a fourth-year MBBS student, expressed relief and gratitude, saying, “I had one thing at the back of my mind that India would come and take us back like they did with students in Ukraine. While the situation in Iran was not devastating, it was not normal either. There were drones, people injured, and we could hear the sounds of missiles. We are truly grateful to be in India and thankful to the Indian government for bringing us safely.”
The students’ fears about their situation in Iran were echoed by Yasir Jafer, who noted that upon reaching Armenia, they felt a sense of safety that was missing in Iran. “We were a bit scared in Iran due to many sounds around and the missile attacks,” Yasir admitted. It’s clear that the psychological toll of their experiences weighed heavily on them.
Among the students reuniting with their families was Mariam Roz, whose mother had eagerly awaited her return. “My daughter had no plans to come back, but I convinced her. I told her that the Embassy would not continue arranging such evacuation flights and she needed to take this opportunity,” her mother expressed. Mariam recounted her experience during the evacuation, stating, “When we were departing from Umriya, we could see missiles shooting off through our window. There was even an incident at 3 AM one day when a missile flew over our dorm and shook the window terribly.”
Another student, Ghazal Rashid, also shared her relief, saying, “We are very happy to have reached India today. The Indian Embassy has brought us back safely and in a very nice way. We are extremely thankful to them. The situation was very bad in Tehran, the capital city, but compared to that, things were calmer where we were staying.”
Despite the tension and anxiety surrounding their experiences in Iran, many students expressed hope for the future. Many of them dream of returning to Iran once conditions stabilize, eager to resume their medical studies. After facing such uncertainty and fear, their resilient spirit shines through.
Each of these students has a unique journey and story to share, embodying the strength of the Indian youth even in the face of adversity. Their return stands as a testament to the efforts made by the government to safeguard its citizens abroad, and it also reflects the unwavering ties that bind them to their homeland. These young medical aspirants, now safe, will carry with them the memories of their time in a conflict-ridden country while holding on to the dreams of a brighter and more stable future ahead.