Srinagar: Jammu Kashmir Peoples’ Movement (JKPM) has demanded the immediate evacuation of residents of J&K stranded in various places across India and abroad.
In a press statement, the party Vice-President Advocate Syed Iqbal Tahir stated that a large number of students pursuing education in different colleges in Bangladesh are stranded. “The authorities in Bangladesh too have imposed lockdown to stop COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, such students find it very hard to survive in this situation, ” Iqbal said.
“A group of Kashmiri students had returned from Bangladesh after spending nights at the international passenger terminal in Bangladesh. Besides Bangladesh, students from J&K are also stranded in several states outside J&K and need to be evacuated, ” Iqbal added.
He said that a huge number of labourers belonging to J&K are held up in various states including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, UP and other states. Usually, a large number of labourers from J&K migrate to various Northern states during winter months and got stuck in such states.
“Since their wages have dried up, many cannot afford the rent or even food, ” Iqbal said.
JKPM has demanded that J&K government must appoint nodal officers in various states of the country to coordinate with the local authorities to provide much-needed support to the students and labourers of J&K who are stuck there and are making distress appeals for their evacuation.
“Till adequate measures are worked out for the evacuation of these stranded students and labourers of the Jammu and Kashmir, there is urgent need to arrange boarding and lodging facilities for them at their present locations, ” Iqbal said and added that JKPM has appealed the Union Ministry of External Affairs and J&K administration for their evacuation on a priority.
