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Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Why Ambedkar's statue has been barred from the Madhya Pradesh High Court
'I will fight till my last breath to have his statue installed,' said Vishwajeet Ratoniya in quiet anger. 'Ambedkar struggled to give us a better life. He is our messiah. I am willing to sacrifice my whole life for him.' The high court lawyer was talking about a 10-foot-tall graphite sculpture of Bhimrao Ambedkar that was meant to be erected in the compound of the Madhya Pradesh High Court's Gwalior bench on May 14. Instead, it has been gathering dust in a room on the outskirts of the city after a group of upper-caste lawyers blocked its installation. 'We never opposed the temple in the court compound,' said Dharmendra Kushwah, another high court lawyer. 'Then why are the upper castes opposing Ambedkar's statue? He is god for those who were not allowed to enter temples or drink water in this country.' Ratoniya and Kushwah are not the only ones charged up. The statue of Ambedkar – long hailed as the framer of the Indian Constitution – has split the bar down the middle. Dalit and backward-class lawyers are rallying to get the sculpture placed at the entrance of the court. But upper-caste lawyers have been pulling out rules and conventions to try to block the move. In Gwalior, the lawyers' quarrel has snowballed into a major political slugfest, with activists and politicians now involved. An Ambedkarite chief justice The lawyers campaigning for the statue say that they followed due process in planning its installation. 'In February, when the chief justice of Madhya Pradesh visited Gwalior, we gave him a memorandum asking for an Ambedkar statue here,' said Ratoniya. The chief justice works out of Jabalpur, which is the principal seat of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. On March 19, a court registrar from Jabalpur wrote to his counterpart in Gwalior informing him that the statue had been greenlit by the chief justice. Scroll has seen a copy of this letter. Soon after that, officials in Gwalior began constructing a pedestal for the statue. But Pawan Pathak, president of the Gwalior Bar Association, alleged that the whole exercise was based on deceit. 'Some advocates gave the chief justice a fake memorandum claiming to represent the bar,' he told Scroll. 'The statue was going to be installed on the basis of a letter which neither I nor any other bar association officials had signed.' Thus began the fight over Ambedkar's statue. Advocate Anil Mishra, a leading upper-caste voice against the statue, went so far as to say that Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, who was the chief justice at the time, had acted in a biased manner since he was an Ambedarite. 'That man [Kait] tried to forcefully install the statue just because he is a Buddhist and claims to be a follower of Ambedkar,' Mishra said. 'He circumvented the rest of the judiciary.' This is not the first time Kait had come under fire from upper-caste lawyers. In 2024, the chief justice was falsely accused of demolishing a Hindu temple at his residence. Face-off On May 10, a week before the statue was supposed to be unveiled, Mishra and Pathak wrestled past security officials and hoisted the Indian flag on the newly built pedestal. But this did not deter Dalit and backward-caste lawyers from bringing the statue to the complex four days later. In retaliation, upper-caste advocates staged a protest at the gates to block its entry. The two groups were locked in a stalemate all day, while the statue sat in the back of a lorry outside the court. Kait told Scroll that he intervened at this point and asked for the statue to be taken back to the factory. 'I told both sides that the installation of the statue should be like a festival,' he said. 'We cannot go ahead with it if anyone is unhappy.' Kait retired as chief justice on May 23. The issue has been hanging fire since then. A proxy caste conflict Supporters of the statue say it will inspire first-generation advocates from marginalised communities to be like Ambedkar. A Dalit from the region that is now known as Maharashtra, Ambedkar became independent India's first law minister, they point out, and chaired the drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly. In 1956, Ambedkar and an estimated 360,000 other members of the Mahar group converted to Buddhism to protest against the oppressions of the caste system. 'If the son of a poor family pays his respects at the statue before entering the court, won't it lift his spirits?' asked Ratoniya, the pro-statue lawyer. 'Will he not be able to argue his case better?' This is also why the statue shows Ambedkar in a lawyer's robes instead of the suit in which he is usually depicted. 'We wanted him to be shown in a lawyer's clothes so that when advocates see it, they feel inspired to get justice for their people,' Kushwah said. 'That is why most of the money for this statue was raised from advocates who believe in equality.' But Mishra claimed that the statue had little to do with inspiring anyone, and more to do with Ambedkarite assertion. 'The Ambedkarites were making a show of their power,' he said. 'During this dispute, they even threatened to destroy idols of Hindu gods. Yet, no action will be taken against them because they belong to a big vote bank. I feel that no political party wants the votes of us Savarnas [upper castes].' Mishra complained that his caste had been edged out. 'Those people say they are 85% of the population so they can do anything they want to,' he said. 'We Brahmins are just 2%.' The upper-caste lawyers Scroll spoke to were quite open about the fact that their opposition to the Ambedkar statue was an assertion of their caste identity. 'Haan, main hoon Manuwadi,' says Gaurav Vyas, one such advocate, in a widely circulated video. Yes, I am a follower of Manu. Manu is a legendary figure credited with being the author of the ancient Hindu legal text, the Manusmriti. In the colonial period, anti-caste activists began to attack the book for its codification of the caste system. In 1927, Ambedkar even burnt the Manusmriti. Since then, the word 'Manuwadi' is often used as a synonym for 'casteist' by Ambedkarites. Along with displaying caste pride, upper-caste lawyers are trying to discredit Ambedkar himself. Upper-caste lawyers Scroll spoke to claimed that BN Rau, constitutional advisor to the Constituent Assembly, was the real maker of the Constitution and that 'Ambedkar had made no contribution at all'. 'Rau was a genius,' Mishra said, a portrait of Rau placed behind him. 'But his name was suppressed by the Congress only because he was a Brahmin.' But Dharmendra Kushwah said the attempt to use Rau to try and undercut Ambedkar was 'nothing but caste enmity'. 'They started by claiming due process was not followed,' he said. 'Now they are saying the Constitution was made by someone else!' A snowballing issue With a portrait of nineteenth-century Maharashtrian caste reformer Jotirao Phule behind him, Kushwah was clear that when it came to the politics of caste equity, the statue represented something larger. 'The time for our rule has come,' he said. 'So long as the backwards and the Dalits were divided, we lagged behind. But now we are all one.' Upper-caste lawyers also saw this as more than a tussle about a statue. For example, Mishra while speaking to Scroll demanded an end to caste-based reservations altogether. The Chambal region, in which Gwalior city is located, is no stranger to caste conflict. In April 2018, a Supreme Court ruling seen as diluting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act had sparked nationwide protests. But in this area, the protests led to caste clashes in which over half a dozen people died. Most people Scroll spoke to in Gwalior said that the controversy about the Ambedkar statue has rekindled these tensions. As a result, activist outfits and political parties have also jumped into the statue fray. On June 11, the Bhim Army, an assertive Ambedkarite group from Uttar Pradesh, held a public meeting in support of the statue. Refused permission by the police to assemble in the city, over 2,000 supporters gathered by a highway on the outskirts of Gwalior to listen to Vinay Ratan Singh, one of the organisation's founders. Speaking from the roof of a car, Singh announced that the Bhim Army would give the state's new chief justice a month to decide on the statue's fate before making their next move. Even this was not enough, however – his supporters were eager to settle the matter right then. 'Court chalo, bhai, court chalo!' the crowd chanted. Let us head to the court, brothers. Targeting Manu In a conversation after the rally, the Bhim Army leader explained the real significance of this statue. 'I am here because of the debt I owe to Ambedkar,' Singh said. 'He worked so hard for our rights. If we don't fight for his statue, who will? The statue is a symbol of justice and equality.' The Bhim Army, he said, will even take its movement to the Rajasthan High Court in Jaipur, where a statue of Manu is installed. 'Manu was an opponent of women's rights and an enemy of the Dalits,' he claimed. 'We want his statue removed.' Sushil Gautam, a Meerut-based Ambedkarite activist, said he was not surprised that the Bhim Army and its political arm, the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), were taking up the issue. 'Starting a campaign like this is the best way for the Azad Samaj Party to establish itself in Madhya Pradesh,' he explained. 'That is how the Bahujan Samaj Party grew too. It went from door to door fighting for statues of Ambedkar.' Within a week of the Bhim Army's rally, the issue entered mainstream political discussion. On June 17, the Congress party announced its support for the statue. 'Today, the maker of the Indian Constitution is being insulted,' former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh told a news conference. 'We will not accept this. We will do whatever we can to have Ambedkar's statue installed in the court.' Meanwhile, the statue in question was being guarded round-the-clock by over a dozen police officials when Scroll visited the workshop where it was fabricated. Suneeta Rai, the artist who drew its eyes, complained that the police had taken all of the factory's air coolers, leaving the workers to toil away in the heat. 'It feels like an oven,' she grumbled. 'This factory does not have space for so many people,' her son said, complaining about the police personnel who were staying inside the workshop. 'These problems take up a lot of my energy every day. I don't know when this issue will get resolved. I did not sign up for this.'
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Scroll.in
Stuck in legal grey zone, can India's bike taxis navigate past roadblocks?
Bike taxis have halted services in Karnataka. The Karnataka High Court on April 2 ruled that bike taxis could not operate without guidelines framed by the state government under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The court gave bike taxis till June 15 to wrap up operations. The abrupt halt could affect an estimated 75,000 to one lakh bike taxis operating in Bengaluru where services began in 2016. Stopping short of an outright ban, the court effectively passed the buck to the Karnataka government. But, so far, the government is not considering any regulatory framework to allow bike taxis, seemingly due to opposition from autorickshaw unions. On the other hand, Maharashtra might become the latest state to allow bike taxi operations. On May 30, Maharashtra notified draft regulations for electronic bike taxis. After public feedback, the rules are expected to be finalised by July. Bike taxis are a cheap way to commute, especially short distances in India's traffic-choked cities with inadequate public transport. Days after bike taxis stopped operations in Bangalore, traffic congestion increased by at least 20%, showed data put out by the TomTom Index that measures mobility. Yet, as the contrasting positions of Karnataka and Maharashtra show, the regulatory environment has been slow to catch up. Mobility experts and ride aggregators told Scroll that bike taxis complement, rather than cannibalise, public transport. Their role as feeder services and last-mile connectivity should be supported through government policies that factor in safety concerns, driver welfare and passenger needs. Quick transport The surge in bike taxi use is a result of their effective response to the realities of mobility in India's urban centres and the gig economy. Researcher Pravesh Biyani said that initially, it was difficult to ride pillion on bike taxis. 'But then, purely because it was so cheap, I took so many of them, especially for shorter distances,' said Biyani, who is a professor at the Delhi-based Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology's Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Mobility. Biyani, who founded the digital transit app Chartr, said bike taxis are much faster than other modes of transport. 'In an auto, you will get stuck in traffic but the bike driver will squiggle through,' he said. Commuters are increasingly relying on bike taxis. 'The public transportation system in most cities is broken,' said Girish Agrawal, a professor at the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Center, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. 'Even keeping and maintaining a private vehicle is not just expensive, it's painful.' Aggregators confirm the trend. 'Bike taxis have emerged as the 'choice of transport' as metros become more and more congested,' said Pratip Mazumder, India country manager at inDrive, a ride-hailing app. An Uber spokesperson told Scroll that autorickshaw and motorbike rides on the platform together exceed the volume of four-wheeler trips, though he did not specify for how long that has been the case. Where bike taxis win, hands down, is providing last-mile connectivity. Raghavan Viswanathan, Partner at KPMG India and co-author of the accounting firm's 2023 report ' Unlocking the Potential of Bike Taxis in India ', said, 'Most bike taxi trips start or end at public transport hubs – like metro, bus or train stations – helping bridge first- and last-mile gaps.' This addresses a key deficiency that several studies have found: that poor feeder networks limit the use of expensive metro systems and public transport. Simultaneously, bike taxis fuel the gig economy. Agrawal said that fresh graduates, who are often unable to get formal jobs and have few financial resources, find bike-taxi driving an accessible and flexible way to make a temporary living. KPMG estimates the sector could generate 5.4 million livelihoods by 2030, while Uber's latest impact report calculated that its autorickshaw and bike taxi services supported Rs 360 billion in economic activity in 2024 in India. Regulatory quagmire Despite their popularity, bike taxis operate under a cloud of legal uncertainty. This is primarily due to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which was not designed for app-based aggregators or two-wheeler commercial transport. A 2004 notification by the Centre permitted the registration of some motorcycles as 'transport vehicles' for hire, with one pillion rider, but it did not provide a regulatory structure. Since road transport is a concurrent subject in the Constitution, which means it is subject to regulation by states and the Centre, there are no uniform regulations for bike taxis across India. 'Even though the Motor Vehicles Act says that the states can authorise bike taxis, very few states have done that,' Agrawal pointed out. This remains one of the main regulatory issues faced by bike taxis: the use of private or personal vehicles, which have white coloured number plates, for commercial purposes – a violation of state laws. Currently, a lot of states don't even give out commercial licenses to motorcycles. Autorickshaws and taxis use yellow numberplates. But mandating conversion to commercial yellow plates may be discouraging for bike taxis given the dual use of these vehicles as well as the arduous expense and effort involved. KPMG's surveys found that over 70% of bike taxi drivers ferry passengers for less than a year and more than 75% do not plan to continue beyond two years. 'Drivers use motorcycles already owned by them or their families,' said Raghavan. 'EVs or yellow plates limit their personal usage and flexibility.' Agrawal questioned the logic of commercial licences for bike taxis. It would force a permanent commercial status on a vehicle used temporarily for gig work and primarily for personal transport, he pointed out. The Union government has attempted to provide clarity and legitimacy to bike taxi operations. In January 2024, the ministry clarified that motorcycles can be granted commercial permits by states. Before that, the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019, laid down definitions for ride-hailing 'aggregators' and mandated state licences. In 2020, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued advisory aggregator guidelines covering licensing, safety and fares. But this has not translated into state-level action. Some, like Goa, Haryana, West Bengal and Rajasthan, have allowed bike taxis under existing transport rules or by framing new policies. But most states have not yet done so, resulting in the current inconsistent landscape of some states allowing bike taxi operations (with or without specific rules), some banning them, some favouring only electric bikes and others stuck in deliberation. Why are so many states reluctant to allow bike taxis? 'Resistance from the incumbent transport service providers who lose business to bike-taxis is among the chief reasons,' said Ravi Gadepalli, founder of Transit Intelligence, a public transport consulting firm. Autorickshaw and cab unions argue that bike taxis have an unfair advantage by not having to pay permit fees and commercial registration costs that they otherwise incur. But operating in a regulatory grey zone puts riders in precarious situations. After Delhi banned bike taxis in 2022, riders worked covertly – avoiding police, hiding navigation apps and telling passengers to feign personal relationships if stopped, as The Leaflet reported. Pragmatic regulation The resilience of bike taxi services clearly indicates a market need that bans cannot erase. The way forward lies in developing sensible, enabling regulations, said experts. 'We, as stakeholders, need to collectively accept that bike taxis are here to stay,' said Mazumdar. This acceptance must translate into a regulatory framework tailored for the gig economy. Instead of permanent yellow plates, flexible, rule-based identification is an option. 'The drivers wearing jackets lined with reflective colours' as a means to identify a bike taxi will have much higher acceptance,' said Raghavan, based on the findings of the KPMG report. Agrawal supported less intrusive methods. West Bengal's exploration of short-term, discreet authorisation – like QR codes could provide a template, he said. A reasonable, time-based annual permit fee – something drivers surveyed by KPMG expressed willingness to pay – could replace yellow plate conversion. Similarly, transitioning to electric two-wheelers is good for the environment but it must be phased pragmatically. 'An EV-only policy, at present, will create a huge entry barrier for drivers,' said Agrawal, given the cost and infrastructure limitations. There are also safety concerns. As Gadepalli noted, two-wheelers dominate India's road accident statistics. Agrawal pointed to the disconnect between low individual risk perception – 'nobody thinks they'll ever get caught or get in an accident', he said – and high societal risk. Ride aggregators implement checks such as helmet verification – Uber uses 'helmet selfies' – and have in-app safety features. Making platforms liable could lead to better enforcement of safety protocols such as high-quality helmets, mandatory training and background checks, said Biyani. These services should use technology to monitor speed and implement SOS features, Agrawal added. But ultimately, state governments must step up. 'The Karnataka High Court's decision is a call for proactive policy-making, not indefinite suspension,' said Biyani.
Scroll.in
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: Rahul Gandhi seeks machine-readable voter rolls, Iran-Israel ceasefire violated and more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. Alleging that 'vote theft' took place during the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of machine-readable digital voter rolls and CCTV footage. The leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha made the statements after Newslaundry reported that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' constituency saw an 8% increase in voters between the Lok Sabha elections, held in May and June 2024, and the Assembly polls in November. Gandhi has frequently demanded access to voter lists, polling data and election footage, alleging irregularities. His statements on Tuesday came days after the Election Commission wrote to him saying all polls are held strictly as per laws passed by Parliament. Read on. The Israel Defense Forces has accused the Iranian military of violating the ceasefire hours after it came into effect. Tel Aviv will 'respond with force' in retaliation to the 'severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime', said Israeli Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir. On the other hand, Iranian state-run Press TV quoted the country's armed forces as having denied that it had launched fresh missile attacks on Israel. On Tuesday, Tel Aviv and Tehran agreed to the truce after 12 days of conflict. Hours later, United States President Donald Trump said that both countries had violated the terms of deal. 'They violated it but Israel violated it too,' said Trump. 'I am not happy with Israel.' Read on. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has ordered the Union government to facilitate the return of 63-year-old Rakshanda Rashid from Pakistan to India on humanitarian grounds. Rashid had lived in Jammu on a long-term visa for 38 years with her husband, a retired government official, and two children. She was deported to Pakistan on April 30 during a crackdown on Pakistani citizens following the Pahalgam terror attack. According to her husband, Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed, Rashid suffers from several ailments and has no one in Pakistan to care for her. The terror attack at Baisaran near the town of Pahalgam on April 22 left 26 persons dead and 16 injured. Following this, New Delhi had on April 24 announced that the visas of Pakistani citizens in India would stand revoked from April 27. Read on. India has evacuated 2,295 citizens from Iran amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, said the Ministry of External Affairs. This includes 292 Indian citizens who arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 3.30 am on Tuesday as part of Operation Sindhu. Another flight had brought 290 Indians and one Sri Lankan citizen from Mashhad to New Delhi at 7.15 pm on Monday. The first evacuation flight arrived in New Delhi on Thursday. This was followed by a series of special flights.
Scroll.in
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Citing ‘misuse', EC cuts storage time of polling videos, photos to 45 days
The Election Commission has reduced the retention period of video footage and photographs of the polling process to 45 days, citing 'recent misuse' of such material, The Indian Express reported on Friday. In a notice to state chief electoral officers on May 30, the commission stated that videography and photography of polling were not mandated by law but were used as an 'internal management tool', the newspaper reported. The panel said that the data can be deleted after the 45-day period if no election petition is filed for it, The Indian Express reported. It was referring to petitions filed in courts to challenge the election of a candidate in a poll. In 2024, the Election Commission had issued instructions laying out timelines, ranging from three months to a year, for storing video footage from stages of the election process, the newspaper reported. The guidelines mandated that the footage from the pre-nomination period must be retained for three months. Recordings from the nomination stage, campaign period, polling and counting were to be preserved for periods between six months and one year, it had stated. In its May 30 notice, the poll panel said that the 'recent misuse of this content by non-contestants for spreading misinformation and malicious narratives on social media by selective and out-of-context use of such content, which will not lead to any legal outcome, has prompted a review', The Indian Express reported. It added: 'If no election petition is filed in respect of a particular constituency, then the said data may be destroyed'. With the new instructions, the time for storing the footage aligns with the 45-day period for filing an election petition, The Indian Express quoted unidentified polling officials as saying. As first reported by Scroll, the Union government in December amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the rules, which stated that 'all other papers relating to the election shall be open to public inspection'. The amended rule says: 'All other papers as specified in these rules relating to the election shall be open to public inspection.' With this change – notified by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, in consultation with the Election Commission – not all poll-related papers can be inspected by the public. Only those papers specified in the Conduct of Election Rules can be scrutinised. Courts, too, would also not be able to direct the poll panel to provide all election-related papers for public scrutiny. The Congress has challenged the change of rules in the Supreme Court. The December amendment, unidentified Election Commission officials had told The Indian Express, would clarify that electronic footage of the polling process is not covered within the definition of election papers and hence not open to public scrutiny. Providing security camera footage would amount to the violation of the secrecy of the vote and open it up to potential misuse through the use of artificial intelligence, they were quoted as having argued.
Scroll.in
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Caught in Iran crossfire, Kashmiri students wait for a passage home
In a few weeks, Syed Aiman Zahra, 24, was supposed to be flying home to Kashmir after completing her medical studies in Iran. A final-year undergraduate medical student at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran's southwestern city of Shiraz, Zahra has spent nearly six years studying in Iran. Her final examination was scheduled for June 19 and her father was expected to join her five days later. Instead, on Tuesday afternoon, Zahra was among the 200 Indian students relocated to the city of Yazd, more than 450 km north of Shiraz. Four days earlier, Israel had launched a surprise attack on Iran's top military leadership, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites and ballistic missile programme. Around 1,500 Indian students, most of them from Jammu and Kashmir, are studying medicine, engineering and religious studies among other subjects in Iran. 'We are in a hotel right now,' Zahra told Scroll in an interview over text messages. Following Israel's attacks on Friday, the internet speed in Iran has gone abysmally slow. 'My family is under a lot of stress because of all this. But I am trying to convince them that everything is alright.' Indian students say there is little clarity on whether they will be moved out of Iran. Indian Embassy authorities in Iran have relocated most of the students from the capital city of Tehran and other cities targeted by Israeli bombardment that began on June 13. But so far, the Indian government has not ordered a complete evacuation of its citizens from the country. Calling it a 'fluid situation', the Ministry of External Affairs said on June 17 that the Indian Embassy remains 'continuously in touch with the community' and that further advisories may be issued. 'It was terrifying' Zahra, who is in the final month of her degree, said till a few days ago everything was normal. 'I was regularly going to the hospital for rounds and night shifts. Everything was going fine but suddenly all of this happened.' According to Zahra, Iran's Ministry of Education on June 15 cancelled all examinations after the Israeli attack. Though upset about her delayed examination, Zahra felt safe as most of the Israeli strikes were aimed at Tehran. 'Over the past two-three days, there were a few incidents in some parts of Shiraz, but nothing major,' Zahra wrote. But that changed dramatically late on Monday. 'Around 8 pm, our warden told us to come downstairs. Our study room is in the basement, so we went there, and she stayed with us. The strike was going on, there were interceptions, and everyone was really worried. We turned off the lights and sat there quietly, waiting for things to settle down,' Zahra said. By 10 pm, just as they had moved back to their rooms, another round of airstrikes began. 'It lasted until around 11 pm. So again, we rushed to the basement. Lights off, everyone tense, just waiting for it to be over,' she wrote. Once the second strike ended, Zahra went back upstairs and began packing. Two days earlier, Zahra said Indian Embassy officials in Tehran had told nearly 200 Indian students at the campus that they would be relocated. 'I went to sleep around 2.15 am but around 2.40 am my juniors came to my room saying they were hearing noises outside,' she said. 'I stepped into the hallway and suddenly, another round of strikes began.' This round of strikes, Zahra said, felt nearer. 'We immediately sat on the floor and turned off the lights. It was terrifying,' she said. 'Everything finally calmed down around 4.15 am. By 5 am, we left the hostel.' She said she is positive about her safety and getting home soon. The facilities in Yazd are good and Indian Embassy officials are helpful, she said. 'We will come back, Inshallah. We are safe, Alhamdulillah [All thanks to Almighty].' After Arak University, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has now requested Shiraz University to facilitate evacuation of Indian students including those Kashmiri students amid escalating tensions. The Embassy has assured full responsibility for their safe and planned movement and has… — Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) June 16, 2025 Uncertainty about ceasefire Back home in Kashmir, the families of the students in Iran have been urging the Indian government to rescue them. On Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he had spoken to External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar. In a post on X, Abdullah said Jaishankar had assured him that the ministry was in close contact with their counterparts in Iran and that they would take 'all necessary steps to safeguard all Indian students in Iran'. On June 14, Iran retaliated by targeting several cities in Israel, including capital Tel Aviv, by launching nearly 400 missiles and hundreds of drones. At least 250 have been killed in the four-five days of hostilities, with Iran suffering at least 90% of the casualties. Two Kashmiri students suffered minor injuries after an Israeli strike near Tehran University of Medical Sciences on June 15 shattered a hostel building. But so far, all Indians in Iran are safe. It is unclear when the military attacks between the two long-hostile countries in West Asia will end. On June 16, United States President Donald Trump said Tehran should be evacuated. 'IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,' Trump wrote on social media platform X. 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' As a parent I assure all the concerned parents of my government's close & continuous attention to this important developing situation. — Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) June 15, 2025 The next day, the Ministry of External Affairs on June 17 said that 'Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for reasons of safety, through arrangements made by the Embassy'. It also said that the Indian Embassy in Iran has advised Indian residents who have their own transport 'to move out of the city in view of the developing situation'. The embassy, however, did not say which areas or cities it had suggested Indian citizens go to. Without specifying any number, the ministry also said that 'some Indians have been facilitated to leave Iran through the border with Armenia'. Some Indian students in Urmia, in northwestern Iran, were shifted to the neighbouring country of Armenia on Monday evening. 'We have been asked to wait and there's a word going around that they may take us to India tomorrow [Wednesday],' said Mushabir Reyan, a fourth-year Kashmiri MBBS student at Urmia university. Reyan is among the 110 Indian students who reached the Armenian capital Yerevan on Tuesday morning. 'Urmia was not directly targeted by Israeli strikes,' he said. 'There were some reports of attacks in Jolfa city which is some 220 km from Urmia.' Nasir Kheuhami, National Convener of Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, said on Wednesday that 110 Indian students in Armenia would be flying to Doha on Wednesday morning and then to New Delhi. 'We have been informed by the office of the External Affairs Minister that all tickets have been arranged free of cost by the Government of India,' Kheuhami said. 'Evacuate us too' So far, Israeli strikes have targeted only parts of Iran, primarily Tehran, but the panic among Indian students has spread across the length and breadth of the country. Sadia Wani, 20, from North Kashmir's Kupwara district, is a first-year MBBS student at Golestan University of Iran's Gorgan city, more than 400 km northeast of Tehran. Wani is among the 60 Indian students at the university. Fifty of these Indian students are from Kashmir. 'We are safe for now but given the war, no place is safe,' said Wani, adding that the university has cancelled examinations. '[Indian] students have been evacuated from the universities of Tehran and Shiraz as the situation there is really bad.' Though they are relatively safe with no concerns about food and medical supplies, Wani said they do not want to be left behind in case the Indian government wants to evacuate citizens from Iran. 'If there's an evacuation, then we should also be evacuated,' said Wani. 'Our safety is paramount.' Amid the uncertainty, Wani said she does not anticipate the situation returning to normal soon. 'The Indian Embassy is in touch with us and they have informed us that the next 24 hours are crucial as there is a possibility of a ceasefire,' said Wani. 'In case there is a ceasefire, then it would be great. If not, then we should be taken home.' 'Media needs to be careful' Some say the panic is being aggravated by false media reporting and sensationalism. Waseem Reza, a Kashmiri religious scholar in Qom, one of Iran's holiest cities known for its revered shrines and a centre of learning for Shiite Muslim clerics, said the situation is far from what is being portrayed in the media. 'Definitely, it's a war-like situation but it has remained confined only to certain parts of Tehran. Rest of the things are normal,' Reza told Scroll on Tuesday over the phone from Qom. 'People are going to offices, shopping malls and cinemas are open, traffic is running smoothly.' The Iranian government has advised locals to avoid venturing closer to military and security infrastructure sites, said Reza. Reza is among 100-150 Kashmiri students pursuing religious education in Qom. While students of medicine or engineering live in hostels or shared apartments with their classmates, those pursuing religious education in Iran's seminaries live with their families, including children. On Tuesday, Reza said, he also appeared for his university examination. 'It's not that the entire country has come to a halt as the media back home is projecting,' he said.
