COVID-19: Suspended train services leave UoH students in lurch

Students from faraway places, such as the Northeastern states, are also struggling to return home.
Passengers whose trains were cancelled due to Janata Curfew  on Sunday wait outside Secunderabad railway station  | Vani Buddhavarapu
Passengers whose trains were cancelled due to Janata Curfew on Sunday wait outside Secunderabad railway station | Vani Buddhavarapu

HYDERABAD: Students of University of Hyderabad (UoH) who hail from far-off places are left in the lurch with public transport services, except air travel, in the State being suspended.

To contain the Covid-19 outbreak, the varsity had issued a notification on Friday, directing its students to vacate their hostel rooms by Monday 10am. However, with the State’s decision to suspend train services, many are finding it difficult to return home.

Jammu Kashmir Students Union had  organised a fundraiser to arrange flight tickets of Kashmiri students and has managed to collect around Rs 60,000 so far. The university fraternity, including professors, had chipped in to meet the their travel expenses.

“There is panic and anxiety among students as we were asked to leave suddenly, without getting adequate time to figure out ways to book tickets. There is no clarity on when academics will resume,” said Hadif Nisar, a student representative of Jammu and Kashmir Students Association.

Students from faraway places, such as the Northeastern states, are also struggling to return home. Usually, they plan their travel well in advance as it involves at least four to five days of train journey.

Unalita Phukan, an M Phil student from Assam, said, “There are only connected flights available via Kolkata. My friend has booked her ticket for Rs 22,000 to Imphal and there is no guarantee that the flight wouldn’t get cancelled halfway through.”

Student seek help from State govts
Usually, students from Northeast India plan their travel well in advance as it involves at least four to five days of train journey to reach their homes. With the current situation (suspension of train services), some students are seeking their respective State governments’ help to return to their homes. For students who cannot afford air tickets, student unions of UoH are trying to arrange a place for them to stay in the city. For others, the students unions are trying to arrange air tickets, which are expensive

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