'Stay Strong': Indian schoolchildren extend solidarity to Türkiye after devastating earthquakes

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – “We pray for you,” “stay strong,” and “we are with you” are some of the messages written by students of an Indian school on a 72-meter-long (236-foot-long) card to express solidarity and condolences to Turkish people after devastating earthquakes struck southern Türkiye earth this month.

Over 5,000 students from Seth Anandram Jaipuria School in Ghaziabad, a city near the national capital New Delhi, delivered the long card to the Turkish Embassy, according to the school principal Shalini Nambiar.

Nambiar told Anadolu that it was "painful to see how people are suffering in Türkiye after the earthquakes and that the best way to help them was to ignite a spirit of giving amongst the kids."

"Education is incomplete without values and thus I decided to get a long card carrying schoolchildren's and teachers' prayers and blessings," she said. "Children were seen crying while writing their messages."

She said the school also donated blankets for earthquake victims.

“I made a card for the people of Türkiye because I think of Türkiye as India's friend and I want to support it during this catastrophic time,” said Aashima Tandon, a student in the school.

Turkish Ambassador to India Fırat Sunel wrote on his Twitter that 5,100 little schoolchildren with golden hearts made this long banner to express their solidarity with Türkiye.

While the Indian government immediately launched “Operation Dost” (Friendship Operation) to send rescue teams and relief to earthquake-hit Türkiye and Syria, people from different walks of life in India are coming forward to support and send material to earthquake-affected people in Türkiye.

At least 40,642 people were killed and over 108,000 injured in two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figures.

The 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa.

In Syria, at least 5,840 people have been killed.