E-Paper
Kota: As students of other states return, fate of J-K students hangs in balance
Adnan Altaf (19) from Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir is in despair as he also wants to return to his home state like the students of other states who are returning these days from Kota.
While the coordination between the State government of Rajasthan with other State have facilitated the return of over 16000 students of UP, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Gujrat to their home states from coaching city amid lockdown, students of Jammu and Kashmir stranded in Kota have no clue as to when they will be able to return to their home state.
Adnan Altaf (19) from Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir is in despair as he also wants to return to his home state like the students from other states who are returning back to their homes from Kota.
“Our families back home are concerned about us among the panic regarding COVID-19 and also the holy month of Ramadan is starting this week so government should take some step for our return”, he said.
J&K students are concerned as Rajasthan government has interacted with Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh and other state governments after which student return from Kota could take place but the fate of the students of Jammu and Kashmir is hanging in balance which is no longer a State after the abrogation of article 370 and is now a union territory with reigns of union government on it.
Another 19-year-old girl NEET aspirant from J&K from Srinagar says “We are not able to focus on our studies these as the stress level is so high due to COVID-19 scare and we are away from our families in this crisis”.
“Just as other States are sending their buses to ferry students of their states, the government should make some arrangements for the J&K students stranded in Kota”, she said.
Another problem J&K students are facing is the high temperature of Kota.
She says “Usually students of Kashmir return to their homes in February March when the temperature of Kota is not so high but now when we are stuck here in April month we are facing the wrath of high temperature also as mercury is hovering around 40 degrees in Kota which is making us ill”.
One teenage girl NEET aspirant from Srinagar says “Our family is worried about us all as COVID-19 is also spreading and we are away from our homes”.
“Apparently whatever we have learned we are forgetting now due to panic situation”, she said.
She said that all Kashmiri students in Kota want to return to J&K before the start of Ramadhan month which is commencing from 25 April this year (depending on moon sighting).
The distance of Kota to J&K is around 1000 km.
The exact number of J&K students stranded in Kota is not known but coaching industry sources claim the presence of around 100 J&K students in Kota presently.
Shehar Quazi of Kota and Muslim leaders of Kota have also urged district administration of Kota to facilitate the return of students of Jammu and Kashmir to their states.
When asked from Divisional Commissioner, Kota, LN Soni about the return of students of J&K, he said that there is no information about the return of students of J&K so far as road distance is also too much from Kota.
He although said that the students of J&K are relatively very less in comparison to students of other states including Bihar and West Bengal which both accounts for total of 12000 students in Kota.
