Please Evacuate Us: Bihar Students Stranded in Kota Appeal to CM

“Surviving on Maggi for 30 Days”, said one of the many students stuck in Kota amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

Students from Bihar appealing CM Nitish Kumar to evacuate them.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
Video Producer: Hera Khan

“Respected chief minister, I am a resident of Bihar. I came here to study medicine but now have to face a lot of difficulties due to the coronavirus lockdown. We are going through a food crisis here”, says Ankit, a student from Jehanabad in Bihar who is stranded in Kota due to the lockdown.

Not just Ankit, many other students from the state are appealing to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to evacuate them and help them go back home.

‘Eating Maggi For Breakfast for 30 Days’

A student complains of shortage of food. “It's been more than 30 days that we are surviving on Maggi. We are having Maggi for breakfast. Who has Maggi for breakfast?  But we are managing”.

Another student complains of being served food that increases the risk of contracting COVID-19.

“Our food comes in this container which is very likely to be contaminated. There is a 100 percent chance. If the person who delivers food to us has contracted COVID-19, we will be infected too.

Sawan Kumar, West Champaran, Bihar

'Not Able to Focus on Studies'

“We are facing problems studying. We are only concerned about other things. We hope our state government will evacuate us from here like other states have done”, said Javed Ahmed a native of West Champaran, Bihar.

Unable to receive money from home, students are also having trouble paying rent.

Ankit, a medical aspirant said, “There are rumours spreading in Bihar that we are living here for free, we are getting free food. This is not true.”

The Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments sent buses to evacuate students of their respective states. But Bihar refused to bring back its students.

A distressed student from Madhepur, Bihar, says, “If I were born in some other state instead of Bihar, I would have been with my family now.”

While Nitish Kumar refused to allow anyone to come back to the state, Bihar BJP MLA Anil Singh brought his daughter back from Kota. This has created resentment among other stranded students.

“Bihar MLA Anil Singh was given a pass to take his daughter back home. He came here and took her back. When Nitish Kumar says nobody will return then how did he return?Rules should be the same for everyone. Then why is an MLA of his own party not following the rules?”

Sawan Kumar, West Champaran, Bihar

While students demand they should be evacuated Nitish Kumar has offered no indication of bringing them home.