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Over 2,200 students from Punjab and Haryana stranded in Ukraine, families back home wait anxiously
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered anxiety among family members of students (at least 2,200 from Punjab and Haryana) studying in the crisis-hit European country. With Ukraine closing its airspace, they have been left to worry and pray for the safety of their loved ones.
An MBBS student staying in Kharkiv city, where a series of explosions were reported, Akriti detailed to them how she was trying to stock up on essentials but was caught in huge queues at grocery stores and ATMs.
“My daughter was scheduled to return on February 27, but now we are hearing that the airspace has been closed,” said her worried father.
Like Akriti’s parents, the families of thousands of Indian students, including those hailing from Punjab and Haryana, are anxiously waiting for their children and loved ones to fly back home.
Those caught in the crossfire, meanwhile, are making desperate attempts to fend for themselves. Akriti and her friends --Janavi Sharma, Aparnpreet and Gurkirat Kaur-- have informed family members that they have are now moving into bunkers.
‘Woke up to the sound of explosion’
Labh Singh, 19, a student at Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, located 80-km away from Ukrainian capital Kyiv, said, “I woke up to the sound of an explosion around 4am. Since then, there has been an explosion every five minutes.” “Though the bombardment is happening at a miles away from the hostel, it is a nightmarish situation,” he added.
‘Have been told to stay put’
Khushwinder Kaur, 23, who hails from Faridkot and is a fifth-year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University, said she was to board a flight to India on Thursday but was told to stay put as the airspace had been closed. “Some of my friends even reached the airport early morning for their flight but were asked to return. Initially, the university officials told us to stay inside the hostel but now we have shifted to two different locations,” she said.
‘No contact with Indian embassy’
Sukhdeep Singh, 20, said that he and other Indian students at Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, have had no contact with the Indian Embassy. “The varsity authorities have directed us stay inside our rooms till further notice,” said the 20-year-old who hails from Mahilpur town of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab.
Exorbitant air fares kept them waiting
Sahil Kumar, 24, a native of Ludhiana, who is stuck in a hostel at Odessa city of Ukraine, with over two dozen Punjabi youth, said that the group had been trying to fly out of the country since the last week. “A ticket back home normally costs around ₹30,000-35,000. But since tensions started escalating, the air fares shot up to ₹1.2 lakh per person. Now the embassy too can’t do much as the airspace has already been closed,” he said.
Sahil, who is enrolled in a language course, described the mood around him as sullen. “There are tanks on roads and everything is closed. There is a complete blackout-like situation,” he said.
Fleeing towards Poland border
For Jagjit Singh, 24, of Jethuwal village in Amritsar, it was an early morning call from a friend that convinced him that it was no longer safe to remain in Kyiv, the capital city which was one of the targets of Russian airstrikes.
“My friend, who is a taxi driver, rang me up in the morning and told me to pack my belongings. My roommate also got a similar call from him relatives living here, who advised him to leave as early as possible,” said Jagit, adding that he, along with nine other Indians, are heading towards the Poland border in two cars.
But it isn’t an easy ride. Many who are fleeing in the city are faced with problems such as fuel shortage, traffic jams and food scarcity. “We left home around 6am, and by 2pm, we had covered only around 25 kms. Lviv, the Ukrainian city close to the Poland border, is around 450 kms from our present location. We don’t know how we will reach there.” he said.
Gurbhej Singh, a Hosiarpur native stranded in Ukraine, who was also heading towards the Poland border, said, “We have no information about the Indian government’s evacuation plans. The situation on ground is chaotic.”
Dreams shattered, now fearing for lives
The Bhatia family of Dugri in Ludhiana has been glued to their television set since morning. Their daughter, Bhanvi Bhatia is a third year MBBS student at Ternopil National Medical University in Western Ukraine. The family had last spoken to her through a video call on Wednesday. Bhanvi was to return to India on a chartered flight on February 26 but the news of Russia bombing the airstrip dashed their hopes. “Bhanvi told us that the government has declared emergency and asked all students to evacuate but there are no clear directions on where the students should go. I am worried for life,” said her father Ashwani Bhatia. “I had spent a fortune to send her abroad. She is half-way through her studies but once she returns, we don’t know what will happen to her career,” he added.
The lucky few who got out in time
The morning of February 13 had come with an uneasy calm for scores of Indian students including, around 200 from Punjab, studying medicine at Chernivtsi National University in Ukraine. Twenty-one-year-old Manjinder Singh from Mansa’s suburban town of Bareta said the Indian embassy flashed a message to Indians in Ukraine last Sunday to try to fly out as soon as possible. A second year of MBBS, Manjinder managed to land in Delhi on February 21. “We were apprehending a few tough days, but never thought a war would break out. With a few hostel friends, we started stocking up on essentials which were being sold at rates higher than usual,” he recalled.
On his parents’ insistence, Singh bought a flight ticket. But that wasn’t the end of his worries. A few flights were cancelled on February 16 and 17 due to threats by Russian authorities.
“The real problem started emerging on February 20 when I reached Kyiv airport which is 450-kms from my institute. I paid almost 50% more for the bus fare for a seven-hour drive to reach the airport. As the passengers were waiting to board the plane, I had the first glimpse of armed troops near the airport. In the next two hours, there was a sudden arrival of army at the airport. As our plane started taking off, several army choppers were grounding at Kyiv,” said Manjinder.
“We have been taking online classes since we reached home, but today, our tutors told us that classes have been suspended indefinitely due to the Russian attack. I am now praying for the safety of my teachers and fellow students,” he added.
Nitin Sharma, 19, also from Bareta, recalled the last few days in Ukraine as “packed with fear”. “There was a strict vigil by Ukrainian authorities on anyone taking pictures of government buildings or videographing these establishments. Even videocalls were discouraged at public places,” said the 19-year-old, who said he paid almost double the normal airfare to reach home.
Hiya Kansal, 20, of Sunam town in Sangrur managed to return home on February 21. Happy to be back home, the second-year MBBS student at Dnipropetrovsk State Medical University, however, worries about her future. “We have been asked to stay in touch with our institute, and told that online classes will be held. But looking at the situation, I am not sure if they will be able to complete our course.”
‘Worried for those left behind’
Amit Samson Desouza, who managed to fly out to India in the nick of time with his wife Kristina Desouza and their five-year-old son Dorian Desouza, said he is fortunate to have left Ukraine at the right time. Desouza, who is into stock and forex trading and a holds permanent residency (PR) in Ukraine, arrived in India on February 20. Now putting up at Ajit Nagar of Ludhiana, he is worried for his friends and in-laws who are still stranded in Ukraine. “They have been sharing disturbing visuals of tanks on the roads and shops closed. We are safe here, but I don’t know when I will be able to see them again.”
(Inputs by Vishal Joshi, Navrajdeep Singh, Mohit Khanna, Anil Sharma, Avtar singh, Gagandeep Jassowal & Parteek Singh Mahal)
