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'Turkey Refused': Evacuated Kashmiri Student Reveals Why India Opted Armenia Route For Op Sindhu
An MBBS student from Srinagar has returned home after being evacuated from Iran amid rising tensions in the region. The student, part of a group of 110 Indians, revealed that despite being near the Turkey border, they were denied safe passage and had to travel to Armenia by land. The evacuation was carried out under Operation Sindhu, launched by the Ministry of External Affairs. Students crossed into Armenia via the Nurduz-Agarak border before flying to Delhi. Of the 110 students evacuated, 90 were from Jammu and Kashmir. The evacuation came in the wake of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.#operationsindhu #irancrisis #studentevacuation #indiandiaspora #israeliranconflict #mea #jammuandkashmir #srinagar #studentreturn #geopolitics #indianforeignpolicy #safetyfirst #embassyassistance #landroute #airlift #newdelhi #globalcrisis #humanitarianmission #mbbsstudent #iran #toi #toibharat
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Indian Express

26 minutes ago

• Indian Express

Fifty years on, we should recall how Indian democracy was tested by the Emergency

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,' warned philosopher George Santayana in his 1905 work, The Life of Reason. Public memory is woefully short; that is why it is rekindled through anniversaries and other periodic events. One historic occasion that we must never forget is the Emergency, imposed by the regime led by Indira Gandhi in 1975. June 25 this year marks 50 years of the event that shook the foundations of our democracy. India is the world's largest democracy. It can also claim to be a successful democracy, except for those 22 months when its democratic credentials were subjected to scrutiny. Two generations have passed since that dark phase. India has learnt enough lessons. Yet, to ensure that Santayana's warnings don't come true, we must keep reminding new generations about that sordid past. Indians waged battles for decades to secure freedom from the British in 1947. B R Ambedkar, while drafting the Constitution, warned the Constituent Assembly that more than foreigners, we were responsible for the loss of independence. 'It perturbs me deeply to acknowledge that India has lost its independence multiple times… due to betrayal and treachery by its own people,' he said on November 25, 1949, poignantly asking, 'Will history repeat itself?? He was categorical that if political parties fail to raise above partisan interests, 'Indian independence will once again be in jeopardy'. His message to his countrymen was that they must resolve to fight 'to the last drop of our blood' to protect our independence. It did not take even two decades for the country to come face to face with that dangerous reality. It may be worthwhile to recall those tragic events. The Indian National Congress was split in 1969 and one faction under Morarji Desai became Congress (O-Organisation) while the other under the leadership of Indira Gandhi called itself Congress (R-Requisitionists). When elections were held to the Lok Sabha in 1971, the PM Gandhi-led Congress (R) secured a resounding victory with 352 out of 518 seats. A few months into that government came the victory in the Bangladesh War that catapulted PM Gandhi into a cult figure. The next few years saw PM Gandhi transforming from a democrat into an authoritarian and arrogant leader. With no Opposition in Parliament, PM Gandhi went about governing in a ruthless and dictatorial manner. Corruption and sycophancy became the hallmark of her governance. Then came two successive challenges to the regime, first in the form of popular agitations in Gujarat and Bihar in 1974 against corrupt Congress regimes, and an Allahabad High Court judgement in June 1975 setting aside PM Gandhi's election in 1971 on the grounds of electoral malpractices. She was disqualified not only from ruling but also from contesting elections for the next six years. With no relief from the Supreme Court and with Opposition parties, united under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, leading a massive popular movement against her rule, PM Gandhi was left with two options: Follow democratic dharma and step down, or use the emergency provisions available under Article 352 of the Constitution to impose a dictatorship and continue to rule. She chose the latter. She cited a 'threat to internal security' as the reason. How was a challenge to her regime a national security challenge? The answer can be gleaned from the Congress party's mindset — its president, D K Barooah, had said 'Indira is India'. At midnight on June 25/26, 1975, PM Gandhi had emergency orders proclaimed by then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. Her government suspended fundamental rights, arrested all the Opposition leaders and gagged the media. The courts were declared ineligible to hear petitions from citizens demanding the restoration of their rights. The saddest day was when the SC upheld the draconian law denying citizens the right to move a habeas corpus petition in its shameful verdict in ADM Jabalpur vs Shivkant Shukla (1976). Like all dictators, PM Gandhi, too, believed that she was invincible. 'To be human is to be free', Desmond Tutu, key to South Africa's freedom movement, once said. The people of the country reminded PM Gandhi of that profound urge when they went to the polls in 1977. While senior politicians languished in jail, a silent, leaderless movement, led by cadres of the RSS and other organisations, spread across the country to restore democracy. Not only was Congress defeated at the hustings, PM Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi couldn't even win in their seats. The Emergency years saw dictatorship in its worst form. A year later, the J C Shah Commission, appointed by the Janata party government in 1977, submitted its report highlighting the excesses of the Emergency including abuse of power, violation of civil liberties, forced sterilisation, the compulsory retirement of 25,000 government employees over their alleged political affiliations and the arrests of more than 1,10,000 people. Many of those who fought that second freedom struggle against the Emergency five decades ago are in power today. They are committed to protecting the 'freedom, equality and fraternity' that summarised the spirit of our independence. Yet countrymen should always be alert to the warnings given by American jurist Joseph Story: 'Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people in order to betray them.' The writer, president, India Foundation, is with the BJP. Views are personal

India.com

32 minutes ago

• India.com

Operation Sindhu: Evacuees Chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai! as 290 Indians Return From Iran

Chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Hindustan Zindabad' echoed through Delhi Airport late Friday night as a special flight carrying 290 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu touched down. Emotional returnees, including students and religious pilgrims, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Indian government for ensuring their safe return amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Among those evacuated was Tazkiya Fatima, a resident of Noida, who recounted the tense situation in Iran and praised the coordination between Indian authorities. "There is a situation of war over there. We were not sure how we would make it out of there, but the Government of India made the whole process very smooth. I am very thankful to the Indian government. I am a resident of Noida," she said. Eliya Batool, another evacuee, described the emotional relief of returning home. She said, "... I am unable to express what I am feeling right now. My family was very worried. In Iran, we were at ease, we were provided with a 5-star hotel and safety was provided to us. But after coming here, we feel at ease. Thank you so much, Indian government. We did not face any issue there because our Embassy made everything easy for us..." Maulana Mohammad Saeed Saeed also praised the swift and safe evacuation. He said, "We are happy and grateful that we have been able to return home safe and sound. The situation in Iran is no good and we all know. Indian Embassy and our Ambassador made the evacuation process very smooth and safe..." Sehrish Rafique, an MBBS student at Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, highlighted how the situation escalated rapidly. "The situation in Iran was quite devastating. At first we didn't expect that it would escalate so much. At first I couldn't believe the Indian Embassy would make so much efforts for us. All Kashmiris are really thankful to the Indian government..." she said. Mir Mohammad Musharraf, from Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, also praised the efforts of the Indian government, saying, "I am from Pulwama, Kashmir... Operation Sindhu is amazing and really helpful. The services were very good. We contacted our embassy. We were stuck in Tehran, unaware of what to do. Our landlords also left and were left behind. It was only our embassy that helped us reach here. Thank you so much, Indian government." Speaking to the media in Delhi, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV & OIA), Ministry of External Affairs, said, "... The third flight carrying 290 Indian nationals from Iran, as part of Operation Sindhu, has landed. 190 out of them are from J&K, others are from Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, West Bengal, and other states. It is a matter of happiness for us that the Government of Iran has opened its airspace for us, and it shows the relationship between India and Iran... These people are very happy on reaching home, and they have thanked the Indian government... Operation Sindhu flights will soon commence from Israel as well..." Many evacuees also expressed their appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the MEA. Mehboob Ali Musharraf from Bijnor said, "I thank Modi Ji and the Indian government for making such good arrangements for our return. We are very happy. I am from Bijnor... Every moment felt very long. I am very grateful that we were evacuated at the earliest..." Syed Mansur Hussain, another evacuee, added, "Everyone expressed their gratitude and bowed their heads as soon as they landed in India. We thank PM Modi and the Indian government... I love India." The special flight landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport late Friday night, as part of Operation Sindhu, India's ongoing mission to evacuate citizens amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. The flight arrived at 11:30 PM IST on Friday and was received by Secretary (CPV & OIA) Arun Kumar Chatterjee. Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in a post on X, "Operation Sindhu flight brings citizens home. Evacuated 290 Indian nationals from Iran, including students and religious pilgrims, by a charter flight. The flight arrived in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 20 June and was received by Secretary (CPV & OIA) Arun Chatterjee." He added, "The Government of India is grateful to the Government of Iran for the facilitation of the evacuation process." Earlier on Thursday, a flight carrying 110 Indian students evacuated from northern Iran arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. The Central government has launched Operation Sindhu to bring back Indian citizens stuck in Iran and Israel amid escalating conflict between them. Conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its 9 day. The conflict erupted after Israel launched 'Operation Rising Lion' on June 13, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities. In retaliation, Iran also launched several drone and missile attacks.

Mint

2 hours ago

• Mint

Operation Sindhu: 290 Indians land in Delhi after Iran eases airspace, chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai', thank govt

As many as 290 Indian evacuees from Iran landed in New Delhi after Tehran eased airspace amid an ongoing conflict with Israel. As 290 Indians landed at Delhi airport under Operation Sindhu, visibly relieved passengers broke into chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Hindustan Zindabad'. Operation Sindhu is India's mission to evacuate citizens amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Emotional returnees, including students and religious pilgrims, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Indian government for ensuring their safe return amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Tazkiya Fatima, a resident of Noida, recounted the tense situation in Iran and praised the coordination between Indian authorities. 'There is a situation of war over there. We were not sure how we would make it out of there, but the Government of India made the whole process very smooth. I am very thankful to the Indian government. I am a resident of Noida,' she said. Eliya Batool, another evacuee, described the emotional relief of returning home. She said, "... I am unable to express what I am feeling right now. My family was very worried. In Iran, we were at ease, we were provided with a 5-star hotel and safety was provided to us. But after coming here, we feel at ease. Thank you so much, Indian government. We did not face any issue there because our Embassy made everything easy for us..." Maulana Mohammad Saeed Saeed praised the safe evacuation of the Indians and said, 'We are happy and grateful that we have been able to return home safe and sound. The situation in Iran is no good and we all know. Indian Embassy and our Ambassador made the evacuation process very smooth and safe…' Mir Mohammad Musharraf, from Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, also praised the efforts of the Indian government, saying, "I am from Pulwama, Kashmir... Operation Sindhu is amazing and really helpful. The services were very good. We contacted our embassy. We were stuck in Tehran, unaware of what to do. Our landlords also left and were left behind. It was only our embassy that helped us reach here. Thank you so much, Indian government." After Iran eased airspace, the special flight carrying 290 Indians – mostly students – landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport late Friday night. The flight arrived at 11:30 PM IST and was received by Secretary (CPV & OIA) Arun Kumar Chatterjee. Iran shut its airspace until further notice after Israel carried out air strikes on multiple targets across the country, including the capital, Tehran, on 13 June.