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The Print
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
‘Can't express what it feels like to be back home': Indian students return from Iran under Operation Sindhu
The flight brought back mostly students from Jammu and Kashmir, along with others from Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, and West Bengal. As they arrived at the airport, chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' echoed through the terminal. Some evacuees were seen hugging each other, overwhelmed by the relief of being home. The returnee, who had gone to Iran on a pilgrimage, was among 290 Indians evacuated under the government's 'Operation Sindhu' amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel. New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) 'The Indian government has done a lot for us, I can't express what peace you feel when you reach your own country,' said an Indian national, after landing in Delhi from Mashhad, Iran, late Friday night. One of the returning students, an MBBS scholar at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, described the experience as 'a journey full of struggles,' but credited the Indian Embassy and the government for their timely intervention. 'Our parents were extremely worried. The help we received from our embassy was immense,' the student said. The Ministry of External Affairs launched 'Operation Sindhu' last week to bring back Indian nationals stranded amid worsening conflict and air travel disruptions in the Middle East. On Thursday, 110 students had already arrived via Armenia and Doha. Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa), MEA, confirmed the arrival of the third evacuation flight and said, 'Out of the 290 Indians who landed today, 190 are from Jammu and Kashmir. It's a matter of happiness that Iran opened its airspace to facilitate this operation. It reflects the strong ties between India and Iran.' The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, which coordinated closely with the authorities, issued a statement saying, 'Heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, and all concerned authorities for their timely support. This is a great relief for families who had been anxiously waiting.' Two more evacuation flights are expected to land later today, including one from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Overall, nearly 1,000 Indian nationals are being brought home under the ongoing effort. Iran's decision to allow use of its airspace played a critical role in making the mission possible, officials said. Students and pilgrims were first moved from Tehran to Mashhad, where Iranian airline flights arranged in coordination with Indian authorities began ferrying them home. PTI MHS SCY SCY SCY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Gazette
21 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Operation Sindhu: 290 Indians evacuated from Iran arrive in Delhi
New Delhi [India], June 21 (ANI): A special flight from Iran carrying 290 Indians, including students and religious pilgrims, 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 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.' Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV & OIA), MEA, said the third flight under Operation Sindhu has brought back about 290 Indians from Iran, including 190 from Jammu and Kashmir and others from Haryana, Delhi, and West Bengal. 'All of them were very happy to reach India. Everyone expressed their gratitude to the Indian government, and preparations are underway to bring back the Indians stranded in Iran. We also thank Iran for opening its airspace and helping in bringing back the Indians,' he said. He added that due to the ongoing war between Iran and Israel, the Indian government has decided to bring back soon people stranded in Israel as well. 'Talks are going on with the Israeli government, and in the coming days, Indians will also be brought back from Israel.' Many evacuees expressed relief upon returning home, saying they were 'very scared' there, amid the war-like conditions in Iran, but received full support throughout the process. 'We were very scared there,' said one evacuee. Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah shared that more Indian students, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, are being brought out of Iran via land routes to Armenia, from where they will be flown back to India. 'We cannot evacuate them overnight because no airports are open, no ports are operational. We are first bringing them by road to cities where there is no bombing, and from there, efforts are being made to bring them back to India via Armenia. Today, we expect around 300 to 400 more students to arrive, most of whom are from Jammu and Kashmir. We will bring them back home safely, and there is a sense of hope all around,' he said. Amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, Abdullah called for de-escalation through dialogue. 'The India-Pakistan issue is a separate matter, and the Israel-Iran issue is different. In any case, this bombing should never have started. Earlier, when the head of U.S. intelligence was asked whether Iran had nuclear weapons, he said he didn't think they would be able to make one anytime soon. But within a few months, Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks must stop, and the issues should be resolved through dialogue,' he said. Abdullah also voiced concerns over the dynamics of India-U.S. relations, suggesting that the United States prioritises its own interests over bilateral ties with India. He said, 'We can't dictate to the US President whom he should invite for dinner. We used to think the US President was our close friend, and he would respect that, but the US does what benefits it...' On Thursday, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh welcomed the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. (ANI)
India Gazette
29-04-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
India, Jordan hold Foreign Office Consultations, discuss efforts to further strengthen partnership
Amman [Jordan], April 29 (ANI): India and Jordan held Foreign Office Consultations in Amman on Tuesday, reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral ties and sharing detailed perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The two nations discussed further strengthening their partnership, including existing bilateral mechanisms across political-security, economic, developmental, and people-to-people sectors. The two sides agreed to commemorate the 75th year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries with a series of events, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release. Secretary (CPV & OIA) expressed gratitude to the Jordanian side for their expression of solidarity with the people and Government of India after the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV & OIA) and Majed T Qatarneh, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan, chaired the meeting. The last round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Jordan was held virtually in 2020. MEA noted, 'The consultations took place in a cordial atmosphere.' The officials of the two nations agreed to hold the next Foreign Office Consultations at a mutually convenient time in New Delhi. In a press release, MEA stated, 'India and Jordan share a warm and friendly relationship underpinned by a shared vision. Trade and investment cooperation between the two sides has strengthened and broadened, with India emerging as the 4th largest trading partner of Jordan in 2023-24 with the bilateral trade of USD 2.8Bn.' 'Both sides agreed on the need to further diversify economic cooperation and promote mutual investments. During the visit, Secretary (CPV & OIA) interacted with members of the Indian community as well as representatives of the Jordanian business, culture, academia and friends of India. He would be visiting the India-Jordan Centre for Excellence in IT at the Al-Hussein Technical University (HTU) in Amman, which is a major institution of advanced learning set up with India's assistance,' it added. (ANI)
