‘Won’t leave’: Desi student lives alone in 9th floor apartment

New Delhi: While almost all Indian medical students returned from Iran after the war broke out, a 22-year-old from Kashmir chose to stay, saying he could not leave “when the country is in trouble”. Asif Gulzar, who now lives alone in a nine-story dormitory in Ahvaz after the last batch of Indian students left, says he is safe and made the decision with the support of his family.Gulzar, a third-semester Bachelor of Medicine student at Jundishapur Medical University in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, told us toy “I came here of my own free will, and I’m safe. I realized I couldn’t leave Iran when it was attacked.”After the war broke out on February 28, about 2,000 Indian medical students returned to India in stages. Despite the conflict, life around Gulzar remains stable and basic supplies are still available. He also said that the internet connection in Iran is very poor and that he is using a paid VPN borrowed from an Iranian friend to stay in touch with his family. Asif Gulzar said: “When innocent people are suffering, I cannot take the easy option but to leave for my own comfort.” He added that remaining silent in the face of such pain would stay with him for the rest of his life.Gulzar, who enjoys reading the works of revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh, said he learned from the idea that silence in the face of oppression amounts to complicity. He said that with classes currently closed, he has been spending time reading the works of thinkers, philosophers and revolutionaries, while also writing poetry to capture the atmosphere around him. Nasir Khuehami, national convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, told reporters that the association helps facilitate the return of Indian students, including about 1,200 from Kashmir. toy Almost everyone came back. “If someone chooses not to return, there is nothing we can do in that case. We are trying our best, with the help of the Indian authorities, to ensure that every student returns,” Houhami said.