Bathinda: A large number of Indian students stuck in the eastern part of war-torn Ukraine continue to pass through harrowing times, with many of them staying put in Metro bunkers to avoid incoming missiles. According to sources, heavy shelling has completely devastated Kharkiv town, nearly 30 kilometers from the Russian border, and Indian students are finding it difficult to reach the western part of the country, around 800 kilometers away, for any possible evacuation.
To get out of such a sticky situation, the students have now urged the Indian government to speak to Russian agencies and ensure a ‘safe passage’ for them, as they claimed that Russian-held territories are just 30 kilometers away from the spot at which they are stranded.
“The students are facing traumatic times as they are staying put in bunkers and metro station for over 24 hours now. They have little access to food as moving out of the metro station to fetch anything very dangerous. We have been hearing continuous shelling for all through the night and even till the early hours of Saturday. We took turns to remain awake for the entire night,” Kharkiv National Medical University 5th year student Kunwar Sharma told TOI.
He and the accompanying students claimed that the Indian government might have evacuated some students through Romania, but only those who are on the western side of the country have been evicted, while the ones in the East are still in danger zone. “If the government is really serious for our eviction, it should take up the matter with Russian government to allow us to reach Russian territory from where we can reach India,” said the students.
Sources have indicated that a large number of students from Punjab and different parts of India are stranded at several places around Kharkiv city.
Gurmukh Singh of Muktsar, whose daughter Mehakpreet is stuck at Kiev, said she and her colleagues are passing through traumatic times after continuous shelling. “Regular sirens are frightening. They even could not go to washrooms and are confined to the basement,” he said.
On the other hand, anxious parents and relatives of students stuck in various cities of Ukraine on Saturday met the Amritsar deputy commissioner to apprise him of the situation and appealed to the government to immediately rescue their loved ones. Meenu Bediwhose son Mudit Bedi is a MBBS student in Ukraine, said she had asked her son to return early but his teachers told him otherwise.
“They said there is no danger but when Russia attacked Ukraine, they had nothing to say, now our children are stuck there,” she said. Bedi added that their children have no money left and even if they send them any, ATMs are not working in the country.
Prabhjot Kaur, whose daughter is a third year MBBS student, said “All I want my daughter and all children to reach India safely.” To deal with the situation, the district administration has expanded the ambit of helpline service into a full-fledged control room in the district administrative complex, which will work round the clock.
To get out of such a sticky situation, the students have now urged the Indian government to speak to Russian agencies and ensure a ‘safe passage’ for them, as they claimed that Russian-held territories are just 30 kilometers away from the spot at which they are stranded.
“The students are facing traumatic times as they are staying put in bunkers and metro station for over 24 hours now. They have little access to food as moving out of the metro station to fetch anything very dangerous. We have been hearing continuous shelling for all through the night and even till the early hours of Saturday. We took turns to remain awake for the entire night,” Kharkiv National Medical University 5th year student Kunwar Sharma told TOI.
He and the accompanying students claimed that the Indian government might have evacuated some students through Romania, but only those who are on the western side of the country have been evicted, while the ones in the East are still in danger zone. “If the government is really serious for our eviction, it should take up the matter with Russian government to allow us to reach Russian territory from where we can reach India,” said the students.
Sources have indicated that a large number of students from Punjab and different parts of India are stranded at several places around Kharkiv city.
Gurmukh Singh of Muktsar, whose daughter Mehakpreet is stuck at Kiev, said she and her colleagues are passing through traumatic times after continuous shelling. “Regular sirens are frightening. They even could not go to washrooms and are confined to the basement,” he said.
On the other hand, anxious parents and relatives of students stuck in various cities of Ukraine on Saturday met the Amritsar deputy commissioner to apprise him of the situation and appealed to the government to immediately rescue their loved ones. Meenu Bediwhose son Mudit Bedi is a MBBS student in Ukraine, said she had asked her son to return early but his teachers told him otherwise.
“They said there is no danger but when Russia attacked Ukraine, they had nothing to say, now our children are stuck there,” she said. Bedi added that their children have no money left and even if they send them any, ATMs are not working in the country.
Prabhjot Kaur, whose daughter is a third year MBBS student, said “All I want my daughter and all children to reach India safely.” To deal with the situation, the district administration has expanded the ambit of helpline service into a full-fledged control room in the district administrative complex, which will work round the clock.
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