Muhammad Haroon, a research student from Afghanistan, expressed his concerns about the safety at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. He mentioned that he, along with other boarders, faced a terrifying situation when a mob of 200 individuals attacked the International Students Boys Hostel. Haroon, who suffered a leg injury during the incident, highlighted the fear and lack of food supplies among the 80 boarders. Despite the shortage of food, they are hesitant to venture out to shop due to safety concerns.
The incident has also raised anxiety among foreign students in other parts of India. An Afghan student at Delhi University emphasized the importance of security for foreign students, especially in light of the government’s ‘Study in India’ initiative. Haroon, a second-year PhD student, shared details of the attack where students offering namaz were targeted with violence. He called for serious attention to security issues by the authorities.
Haroon suffered an injury to his leg when he accidentally cut it on a shard of broken window glass. According to Haroon, Azat, a student from Turkmenistan, was stabbed in the area between his ribs. Azat was released from the hospital on Monday, and Haroon mentioned that the police have filed a First Information Report (FIR).
Haroon made an allegation that Mario Fernando, a student from Sri Lanka, was abruptly awakened from his sleep and physically assaulted.
“We usually perform our prayers, known as namaz, in our individual rooms. However, due to the observance of Ramadan, we decided to pray at the designated location on the hostel premises,” Haroon explained. “If only we had been informed beforehand, we would have avoided offering our prayers there.”
Haroon recounted that he, along with several others, had barricaded themselves in a room on the second floor, only for the attackers to forcefully break in. Subsequently, he and a small group of foreign students rushed to the balcony, contemplating jumping off, until the timely arrival of the police.
Upon entering the hostel, Vice-chancellor Neerja A. Gupta and law enforcement officers provided reassurance to the foreign students regarding their safety, as per Haroon.
The SFI, the student wing of CPM, has strongly denounced the violent attack.
The SFI expressed deep concern over the brutal assault on foreign students at Gujarat University while they were praying, labeling it as a significant deterioration of the academic and diverse atmosphere within educational institutions under the leadership of Modi. The incident has raised serious apprehensions regarding the safety of students.
The SFI further stated that this incident has tarnished India’s globally acknowledged values of tolerance, diversity, and brotherhood. The BJP administrations, both at the national and state levels, must be held answerable for this disgraceful event.