Kishan Reddy calls for spl flights to bring Indian students from Kyrgyzstan

Hyderabad: Observing that parents of some Indian students in Kyrgyzstan are concerned over the safety of their children, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to consider organising special flights to bring the Indian students back “till the issues come under control”.

In a letter to Jaishankar, Reddy said there are a large number of Telugu students pursuing undergraduate programme in medicine in Kyrgyzstan.

“I have received several representations from panic-stricken parents expressing concern over the safety of their children. The Telugu media also picked the item which further escalated the anxiety amongst the families,” Reddy said in the letter released to the media on Tuesday night.

Reportedly, a majority of the students are living in hostels or in their own rooms without lights and access to basic necessities, he said.

“If the Indian students are found outside, they are being indiscriminately attacked by the local students. The Indian Embassy there is cognizant of the matter and is reportedly trying to extend help,” he said.

A majority of the Indian students would want to come back to India, at least till the tension subsides as it is difficult for them to continue their studies there, Reddy said.

There is a great deal of insecurity and anxiety among the parents of the students which “need to be addressed immediately”, he said.

“I, therefore, request you to kindly consider organising special flights to bring the Indian students back till the issues come under control,” he said.

Reddy, also president of BJP in Telangana, said some videos and photographs are enclosed with the letter “which evidences the intensity of the problem”.

On May 18, India asked its students in Bishkek to stay indoors after the Kyrgyz capital city reported fights between some locals and foreigners.