Kyrgyzstan violence: Despite safety assurance, majority of Indian students heading back home from Bishkek

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, May 24

Even as all the 10 medical colleges in Bishkek shifted to the online mode of classes up to the ninth semester, a majority of the Indian students are heading back home from the Kyrgyzstan capital despite the universities concerned ensuring their safety.

While a flight carrying 150 students has already landed in Delhi, another flight is expected to arrive today. The students speaking to the Tribune said though the situation did improve in the last two days, they chose to return till things were back to normal.

“As soon as the classes got shifted to the online mode, we got a message about flights being arranged for us. Our universities only arranged for the transport to the airport with minimal charges and teacher and student coordinators came to see us off. Generally, flights from Alamty to India cost around Rs 10,000, these flights cost us Rs 28,000. There is a huge rush and boarding is taking hours. We would have missed our flight,” said a student from Aligarh.

The students claimed that they have received written advisories from the universities to not give any audio or video interviews or post anything on social media as it will invite strict action from the varsities. The students have been made to sign these undertakings, they claimed. They shared a video with the Tribune that showed the students queuing up for flights at Bishkek looking visibly relieved.

Last week, India had asked its students in Bishkek to stay indoors, days after mobs targeted foreigners in the city, triggering concerns over Indian students there.

Trouble started brewing in the Central Asian country on May 13 between locals and expatriates from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Egypt. A brawl had ensued between foreigners and locals in a hostel of International University of Kyrgyzstan where 29 persons were injured.

Thousands of Indian students started speaking about their plight after going without essentials and food while being confined to their apartments and living in fear of being attacked. After Telangana, Rajasthan and MP, now the Gujarat Government has urged the Centre to ensure the safe return of students from the state.