CHENNAI: A total of 15 students, pursuing higher education at a private university in Jalandhar, Punjab, were brought back to Chennai with the assistance of the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday.
Their return comes amidst escalating tensions along the India-Pakistan border, prompting the Punjab government to announce closure for all educational institutions for the next three days.
The first group of five students, who were stranded due to the escalating situation near the border, were evacuated to New Delhi on Friday night and subsequently flown to Chennai on Saturday morning. Special transportation was arranged to take them to their native districts, including Coimbatore, Namakkal, and Kallakurichi.
Later in the day, another group of seven students arrived in Chennai from Delhi. Minister for Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils S M Nasar and senior government officials received them at the airport. Three more students had reached Coimbatore earlier this morning.
Speaking to reporters, minister Nasar said, “So far, 15 students have been rescued and brought back safely. The state government will continue its efforts until every student from Tamil Nadu has safely returned.”
He also said an additional district collector and a dedicated rescue team have been deployed to coordinate the operation.
Ajay Vasanth, a student said, “We were extremely anxious, as we were just 60 km from the Pakistan border. But the presence of Tamil Nadu officials gave us reassurance.”
Naveen from Coimbatore added, “We didn’t know what to do, but the government stepped in and guided us at every stage.”