But now, after mob violence targeting foreign students erupted in the city, her academic future looks uncertain.
AdvertisementThe Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan has said it is extending all possible help to the students in Bishkek.
The Indian Express interviewed several Indian students pursuing MBBS degree courses in the Kyrgyzstan capital.
The Indian government on May 18 asked its students in Bishkek to stay indoors.
Another 23-year-old MBBS student from Mumbai at Kyrgyz State Medical Academy said, “We are not able to move out freely.
A medical student from Andhra Pradesh moved to Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek six years ago, dreaming of the day she would complete her MBBS course and send a graduation photo to her family. Till a fortnight ago, that dream seemed closer to reality. But now, after mob violence targeting foreign students erupted in the city, her academic future looks uncertain.
“The situation is quite volatile here. We do not know when we might be attacked. Our classes have been moved online and we are not sure anymore if we would even have a graduation ceremony. A few days ago, I was planning for my farewell, and now, I don’t feel safe stepping outside,” said the 23-year-old student who is in the final year of her MBBS at the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy in Bishkek.
Her story mirrors the wave of anxiety gripping the Indian student community in Kyrgyzstan after the attacks on foreign students, especially those from South Asia, in Bishkek last week.
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The Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan has said it is extending all possible help to the students in Bishkek. In a post on X on Saturday, the Embassy said, “The students were informed about increase in flights to India, advised to follow SMU (Salymbekov Medical University) guidelines and contact Embassy for any assistance, if needed.”
“Embassy officials met with Indian students at Salymbekov Medical University on May 24. The students conveyed that they were comfortable as the situation in Bishkek was normal,” the Embassy said.
The Indian Express interviewed several Indian students pursuing MBBS degree courses in the Kyrgyzstan capital. There was one common answer to what triggered the turn of events — the students said the violence was triggered following a brawl between Kyrgyz and Arab students, after which the local students mobilised and began attacking all international students in the city, indiscriminately.
About 17,000 students from India are reportedly studying in Kyrgyzstan. The Indian government on May 18 asked its students in Bishkek to stay indoors.
A 24-year-old Indian student, who is currently in MBBS final year at Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University, said in the early hours of May 18, he saw around five people dressed in hoodies, faces covered with masks, breaking the main door of his hostel, which was about 30 minutes away from his university.
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“They scanned the hostel and left. After an hour or so, they came back with about 20 people… There were five of us in our room on the first floor. We ran to the third floor, locked ourselves in a room and hid under the bed. Our housekeepers, who are Russians, were also terrified,” the student said.
Soon, the students called their contractors — people who represent consultancies through which the students get admission to the foreign universities — who then contacted the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan and the local police for help.
Another 23-year-old MBBS student from Mumbai at Kyrgyz State Medical Academy said, “We are not able to move out freely. Today I went to the supermarket with the private security our contractors hired for us. The Indian government and the embassy are saying that the situation is stable. But if it is stable, why am I having sleepless nights and why am I moving with security.”
A professor at the Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University said, “Right now all our students are locked in the hostel rooms… They are all under a lot of stress and we are providing as much support as we can.
