Many parents whose children were evacuated from Iran last month and quarantined in Rajasthan on Monday staged a protest at Press Enclave here demanding their kin should be airlifted to Kashmir.
The parents said theirchildren have gone on hunger strike against the “pathetic behavior” of centraland state governments, alleging the authorities were “deliberately keeping themaway from us in troubled times when everyone is concerned about wellbeing ofthe children.”
Parvez Ahmad, a parent said government of India evacuated276 students from Tehran last month and after reaching New Delhi, instead ofallowing them to travel to Kashmir they were taken to Rajasthan’s Jaisalmeerdistrict where authorities quarantined them.
He said despite testing negative several times andcompleting back-to-back quarantines, the students have been “detained therewithout any logic which has affected their psychologically.”
He said the “rude behavior” of central and state governmenthas compelled the students to go for hunger strike.
He said all the parents whose children are stuck inRajasthan were in pain and many have fallen ill.
“We want to see our children but don’t know whyadministration, despite repeated assurances, has miserably failed to evacuatethem,” he said.
Agitated parents said the administration wanted to escapefrom responsibility of taking care of their children. “IT is unacceptable. Wecame to know that administration has decided to bring students from Jaisalmeerto Lakhanpur only and then distressed parents have to bring back students oftheir own, which is unacceptable to us”.They warned thatresponsibility will lie on the shoulders of J&K government in case anyuntoward happens to their wards.