Nepal unrest: Four Indian PhD students stranded in Kathmandu

Cooch Behar/ Alipurduar: Amid the ongoing political unrest in Nepal, four Indian students—three from North Bengal and one from Tripura—have been stranded in Kathmandu after attending an international seminar.

The students, all pursuing PhD at Harin Ghata Mohanpur Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya in Nadia district, had travelled by road from Siliguri to Kathmandu on September 5 to participate in a seminar on global climate change and its impacts, held at Kathmandu Central College from September 6 to 8.

The four students have been identified as Monihar Talukdar of Barobisha, Alipurduar; Souvik Chakraborty of Dinhata, Cooch Behar; Mayukh Bhattacharjee of Jalpaiguri and Swapnajeet Chowdhury of Agartala, Tripura. All four were felicitated at the seminar for their academic presentations.

They were scheduled to return to India by bus on September 9. However, violence broke out in Kathmandu on September 8, disrupting transport services.

A fire at the bus stand and suspension of airport connectivity left them confined to a hotel near Pashupatinath temple. “We presented our papers at the seminar on September 6, when everything was normal. But on September 9, we were informed that buses were cancelled after mobs set fire to the bus stand. With no flights available either, we have been stuck at the hotel since then. The law-and-order situation is collapsing. We are desperate to return home,” said Monihar Talukdar. Souvik Chakraborty added: “We are facing financial problems and struggling with food arrangements. Though police from Alipurduar have contacted us, we urge authorities to bring us back at the earliest.”

The families of the stranded students are increasingly anxious. Monihar’s father, Prosenjit Talukdar, said: “I cannot sleep until I see my daughter safe. I appeal to both the Central and state governments to ensure the safe return of all four students.”

Similarly, Souvik’s mother, Kakali Chakraborty, expressed her distress: “We have been in constant touch with our son, but the fear never leaves us. We want urgent arrangements for their safe return.” According to sources, the students have been advised by the Indian Embassy in Nepal to remain inside their hotel until the situation stabilises.