The wave of pro-democracy movement in the Arab world reaches India, raises hopes of the Arab students community.
Ali Qasem Ahmed is a post-doctoral student from Yemen currently residing in Hyderabad city of India. Ali is excited about the massive pro-democracy demonstrations that are going on the streets on Sana right now. However, he is also a tad sorry to be away from the scene. Says Ali – a staunch supporter of democracy, “The regimes are anything but democracy. That’s why people have risen up to put an end to such masquerade. The voices of the common people are finally echoing loud and clear.”
Ali Qasem isn’t a lone voice lauding the uprising. There are thousands of others who share his emotion. According to a rough estimate there are over 15 thousand foreign students currently studying in various Indian universities. Over 70% of them are from UAE, Iran, Yemen, Palestine, Saudi Arab and other central Asian countries. A small percentage of these students are from North African countries such as Egypt, Algeria and Sudan.
The anti-dictatorship protest that started in Tunisia in early nauary bringing down the dictatorship, has sparked a great amount of excitement in this entire Arab students’ community. Since they are spread all across India, these students are using social media network to discuss the developments back home and express their solidarity through online posts.
In one such post, Taf Ali, another Yemeni student in India cheers for her friends in Cairo, “Go Egypt! We are all praying for you! Inshallah Yemen is next. Its about time citizens stand up to these unfair, worthless presidents.”
Such comments, posted by students living in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Mysore, are flooding Facebook and Twitter. Interetsingly, beside fellow Arab students, the pro-democracy slogans are also inspiring other foreign students and many Indians too, who are also echoing their support for power to the people.
On coming Sunday, February 6, a seminar is being organized at Mysore University of India’s Karnataka state where around 100 students from 25 nations, both Arab and African, are expected to express their support to the pro-democracy movement. This is going to be the first public event organized by Arab students in support of the demand of democracy all across the central Asia.
They may be away from home, but the hearts of these students are undoubtedly where home is!
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