Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, April 2

On a windswept stretch of frontier near the Azerbaijani town of Astara, hundreds of Indian students, many of them young Kashmiris pursuing medical degrees in Iran, have spent days in limbo, clutching documents, refreshing phones, and searching for answers that do not come.

What began as an evacuation route has, for many, turned into a bottleneck.

As the conflict involving Iran and the United States and Israel enters its second month, the Government of India says it has facilitated the departure of more than 1100 of its citizens through Iran’s land borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 1171 Indians including 818 students have exited the country since the crisis began, with most crossing into Armenia and a smaller number into Azerbaijan before boarding flights home.

But for those still waiting at the Azerbaijani crossing, the official numbers feel increasingly distant from reality.

Students who travelled from cities like Qom to the northern border describe a process that has slowed, then nearly stopped. 

They say that in recent days Azerbaijani authorities had been allowing only a handful of students to pass each day. 

Now, even that has ceased.

“For the past week, no one has been allowed through,” said a student, speaking over phone. “We are just waiting here, without any clarity on when the border will reopen.”

Others echoed the same uncertainty and the anxiety that comes with it. 

Many say they have received little information about the reasons for the halt or how long it may last.

The delays have rippled outward. 

Students who managed to cross into Azerbaijan earlier report difficulties securing onward travel to India, with limited flights and coordination gaps adding to the strain. 

Those attempting to leave through Armenia have faced repeated cancellations, compounding the sense of disarray.

The situation has drawn appeals from student groups. 

Dr Muhammad Momin Khan, a national office-bearer of the All India Medical Students Association, has called on Indian officials in Tehran to step in more decisively and streamline the evacuation process.

Before the conflict erupted, an estimated 9000 Indian nationals, most of them medical students from Kashmir, were in Iran. 

While the Indian government had advised citizens to leave early, many students chose to stay, citing academic commitments and upcoming examinations.

Now, for those gathered at the borders, the calculus has changed.

Some still hope the crossing will reopen within days. 

Others are less certain, as provisions run low and frustration grows. 

What unites them is a shared sense of being caught between decisions their own and those of governments with few options left but to wait.