Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi
Udupi, June 17: As tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, nine medical students from Karnataka stranded in Tehran have made a desperate plea for evacuation, fearing for their safety amidst ongoing missile and drone strikes.
The students, studying at Shahid Beheshti Medical University in the Zafaranieh area of Tehran, are facing power outages, poor mobile connectivity, and increasing fear of violence. They have appealed to both the Indian Embassy in Tehran and the Karnataka State NRI Forum for urgent assistance to return to India.
The stranded students have been identified as Nadeem Hussain, Meer Naser Hussain, Syed Mohammed Taqi, Meer Esam Reza, Abbas Askari, Syed Mone Reza, Maryam Fatima, Dania Ulbat, and Abbas Ali.
One of the students, Nadeem Hussain from Bengaluru, managed to respond to Vijayavani via WhatsApp after mobile calls failed. “We’re not in a position to speak freely. Everything here is being closely monitored. Even sharing basic information could put us at risk. There’s no electricity, the signal is weak, and we have already asked the Indian Embassy for evacuation support,” he said.
When contacted, Udupi deputy commissioner Dr K Vidyakumari confirmed that the district administration has not received any information regarding residents from the district studying or residing in Iran.
“Neither students nor their families typically inform the district before travelling abroad. They apply for passports and proceed directly, usually coordinating only with the embassies. As of now, we have not received any request for help,” she said.
In response to the situation, Dr Arathi Krishna, vice president of the Karnataka NRI Forum, has written to union external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar, seeking immediate intervention. “These nine students are caught in a dangerous situation. I have shared their names and contact details with the minister and requested urgent evacuation support,” she said.
Dr Krishna added that while no other Kannadigas in Iran have contacted the NRI Forum so far, she suspects a few families from Bengaluru may also be in the region. However, there is no confirmed information yet about individuals from Mangaluru or Udupi districts.
With tensions continuing to rise in the region, families of the stranded students and state officials remain hopeful that the Ministry of External Affairs will act swiftly to bring them home safely.