Around 32 Islamic pilgrims and students from Mangaluru and Roorkee who had gone to Iran for religious studies and pilgrimage are stuck in the war torn country. They are unable to return home because of the closure of airports and cancellation of flights by the Iran government, leaving families in Haridwar worried.
Haridwar district administration officials have confirmed that the people who have gone to Iran are mainly youths from Mangalore, Tanda Bhandeda and Jainpur Jhanjedi in Roorkee of Haridwar district.
Around 32 visitors including men, women and children, are stranded in Iran, their families in Haridwar have demanded from the centre to help them bring back their children. The families of the stranded Indians in Haridwar have stated they have not been able to contact them in Iran. Of the stranded visitors include 15 pilgrims and 17 students enrolled in various madarsa of Iran.
Every year several people from Mangalore, Roorkee and other parts of Hardiwar district visit Iran and Iraq for religious pilgrimage and Islamic learning. This year too 15 pilgrims from Haridwar district have gone to Iran.
According to the families their stranded loved ones had visited several places in Iraq aland reached Iran on the return journey. However, as they prepared to return, Israel launched massive air strikes on Iran resulting in the shut down of air services there. Worried families are now praying for their safe return.
Apart from 15 pilgrims, 17 students from Haridwar who had gone for Islamic studies are also stranded in Iran. They were enrolled in various madrasas there for Islamic studies in Iran. They used to come home one leave every year before Muharram, but this time the war has spoiled their reunion with the families.