Unable to put up with the loneliness due to coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown in an alien land, over 20 Iranian students staying in Hyderabad and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh left for their homeland on Friday.
While none of them had any symptoms of COVID-19, they never stepped out of their houses or hostels for more than three weeks of lockdown.
The students, who spoke to The Hindu about how they may have to undergo 14-day quarantine once they reach Iran, said at least they could go home and be with their families, though the current situation in Iran is bad.
“I am the first foreign student who left the hostel. I did not step out of my hostel for almost a month. We don’t know for how long the lockdown will continue, so I decided to go back to my country,” said Maryam Kouhestani, a student of OU Law College.
Two weeks ago she contacted the Iranian Consulate here and expressed her eagerness to go home. “I asked them about the situation and inquired about any emergency flight being arranged to evacuate Iranian national from India,” said Ms. Kouhestani who hails from Mazandaran province.
A few days later, officials at the Consulate told her that they were trying to arrange a flight for students and other Iranian citizens and created a WhatsApp group. “My parents, who are coming to receive me at Tehran airport, booked my ticket only on Wednesday. I was really worried about them but, I am excited about meeting them after a long time,” she said, adding that 20 students from Hyderabad and AP reached Mumbai by a special bus to board the flight.
As many as 191 Iranian nationals stuck in different cities were evacuated on a special flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai.
