Amid reports of altercations between foreigners and locals in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan have advised their students to stay indoors.

The local media reports that there have been attacks on some of the Bishkek medical university students' dorms as well as on private homes that house foreign students, particularly those from Pakistan, amid the backdrop of Kyrgyzstan violence. The majority of the guests at these hostels are from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.

Escalation of Kyrgyzstan Violence Sparks Concern Among Foreign Students in Bishkek

According to reports, a harassing incident involving Egyptian female students was the cause of the violence. Tensions are said to have increased following the May 13 release of a video purporting to show a fight between Egyptian medical students and Kyrgyz pupils.

The Times of Central Asia reports that in response to the incident, law enforcement personnel wearing riot gear were stationed in specific parts of Bishkek overnight as crowds gathered to voice their displeasure over the purported confrontation between local citizens and foreigners.

Kyrgyzstan violence
Source: Organiser

The Indian embassy in the Central Asian nation stated that things are "calm" for the moment and that it is in contact with the Indian students. Indian students in the city were instructed to stay inside by the mission.

The Indian students were encouraged by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to maintain frequent communication with the Indian embassy.

“Monitoring the welfare of Indian students in Bishkek. Situation is reportedly calm now. Strongly advise students to stay in regular touch with the Embassy," he said in a post on X.

PTI reports that some 15,000 Indian students are presently enrolled in Kyrgyzstan, though it is not immediately clear how many are studying in Bishkek.

Kyrgyzstan violence
Source: Instagram

In addition to Russia and Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan is a well-liked location for medical degree programmes, partly because of its reasonably priced tuition. According to reports, the cost of a five- to six-year MBBS degree in Kyrgyzstan, which includes clinical training, is about Rs 22 lakh.

Indian MBBS students are drawn to the nation by a number of features, such as affordable living expenses, a wide variety of Indian food options, good student-teacher ratios, and free admittance. Furthermore, the majority of Kyrgyzstan's medical schools offer degrees that are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and recognised internationally.

Even though Russian is the official language, English is the primary language of instruction.

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