Pune is a temporary home for a large number of outstation students, who flock to the ‘Oxford of the East’. However, of late, the parents of this significant chunk of the city’s student population are a worried lot, owing to the rising instances of H1N1 influenza, or swine flu.

While some of the students are resorting to masks and other precautionary measures, others are shrugging it off, saying it is unnecessary anxiety. “My parents have been calling me everyday, asking me to return once the situation improves. They are quite worried. However, I am not planning to move and have told them that the situation is far milder than it is being made out to be. I haven’t been taking any precautions though,” said MBA student Mohammed Farhad Raza, a resident of Bavdhan.

Steven Makasare, who hails from Nashik, is a student of MITCOM College. Another college in the same premises has temporarily shut down following the swine flu scare. “I get frequent calls from home now and my mother is concerned. I have started avoiding crowded places since the last three days. My parents have asked to take precautions but I learnt the masks were out of stock. Besides, the problem seems less serious here than it appears to them because of the way it is being portrayed,” he said.

Sourabh Gour arrived in the city a month ago from Jamshedpur to pursue his B.Com course. Now, his family is asking him to return. “My parents have been crying and are very worried. I am avoiding public places and using handkerchiefs as a preventive measure. But owing to the extensive media reports and the recent death, there is rampant anxiety,” said Gour.