Kashmiri students stranded in city, want to return home

Aditi.R@timesgroup.com

Chennai:1.5.2020

Kashmiri students in city colleges including professional institutions are stranded due to the shutdown and are struggling to access essentials.

A group of students living in Selaiyur said that their parents are slowly finding it difficult to send them money because they have not earned any income from their businesses since the lockdown was imposed in their state. And by the day the essential supplies in their locality too are becoming expensive which the students are unable to afford.

“A packet of instant noodles whose MRP is Rs. 10 is now sold at not less than 20. This is the same for all other food and grocery items,” said Owais, a college student from Kashmir who is pursuing a professional course in a private institution in the city. He added that the store is open only for a few hours in the morning, but every time they go there they are charged higher rates. “If we question, the shopkeeper asks us to find another store. But no other grocery store is open here. This is the only one and we have no option to buy it from here,” he said.

Owais and his four friends, who are also from Kashmir but came to the city to study, moved to a flat at Selaiyur, near Agaram main road, after their universities closed the campus and declared that all students must vacate the hostels, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, over a month ago. The students were all living in their respective college hostels before.

“We had already paid the hostel fees but then were suddenly asked to leave,’ said Qasim, another student from Kashmir. “We wanted to go home, but couldn’t since no transportation was available at that time. So we moved to a flat, temporarily, hoping that the lockdown will be lifted soon, but it’s only getting extended,” he said.

The students said that apart from spending on their daily essentials, they also have to pay their monthly rent. “My father has been sending me money, but since there is no business happening back home, he is also struggling. I have three siblings there, who are also studying. He needs to look after them too,” said Owais.

The students said that they had a hard time during the four day shutdown. “Our gas cylinder got over and despite several requests, the agency kept delaying. We were surviving on biscuits and whatever food we had during this time because all restaurants were also shut,” he said.

All their classes are now being held online, the students said that they were also told that their colleges will not reopen until August.

A few state governments like Kerala have started registering their students who are currently stuck in different parts of the country and abroad, to bring them back home. The government of Jammu and Kashmir has been circulating forms to bring back Indian nationals from the state, who are working or studying abroad, back home.

Several students living in Selaiyur said that their parents were slowly finding it difficult to send them money because they had not earned any income from their businesses since the lockdown was imposed in their state