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Punjabis stuck in Ukraine: Banks, ATMs shut, stranded students in dire straits
Students from Punjab, who are stranded in Ukraine, especially on the eastern side and the Polish border, said the situation has been turning worse as they had run out of money as ATMs and banks are shut
Many students from the Jalandhar region, who are stranded in Ukraine, especially on the eastern side and the Polish border, said the situation has been turning worse day by day as they had almost run out of money for their routine expenses as ATMs and banks remained closed. They urged the Indian authorities to expedite their safe return from the war-hit country.
As per data compiled by the Punjab government, so far nearly 500 students from the state are stranded in Ukraine. Kamal (named changed) from Jalandhar, who went to Ukraine on a study visa, said he along with six others are stuck on the Ukraine border and are waiting for their turn to enter Poland for the last six days.
“We were mistreated by the Ukrainian forces. There is no food available here. Earlier, we were surviving on sandwiches being provided by the local authorities,” he said.
“On entry to Poland, the authorities were giving first preference to Nigerians followed by Ukrainians and then Indians,” he added.
A student from Kapurthala, who was pursuing his MBBS degree in Kharkiv National Medical University, said he along with his friends from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh were stranded on the eastern side where the situation was too grim. He requested for the early rescue through any alternative route as they were staying in an underground train station since February 25 to save their lives from shelling by the Russian forces.
Another MBBS student from Punjab said they didn’t have money for further survival and requested the Indian embassy to rescue the students stranded on the eastern side of Ukraine.
‘Mental health of students worrisome’
A sixth-year student of medicine at the Kharkiv National Medical University, Harjinder Singh, 26, is worried about the mental health of the Indian students in the war-torn country.
A resident of Abohar town in Fazilka, Singh is a monitor of his batch, and he is among over 4,000 Indian coursemates waiting eagerly for evacuation.
“New academic session began in January and the newly-admitted students were trying to acclimatise to the city that at present is witnessing 2°C. They have to spend hours in the basements that are being used as bunkers and the college has turned unfriendly during the war,” he said.
He added that it was disturbing that the faculty had conveyed strictly that the institute would not allow them to sit in the final examination if anyone leaves Ukraine without submitting the college fee of the next semester starting from April.
“Parents have been appealing to the Indian authorities to evacuate the stranded students from the war zone. But the college authorities do not want to relieve the students and asking us to gear up for online classes even during frequent bombardments,” he added.
‘Expedite safe return from worst-hit Kyiv, Kharkiv’
Another student said the Indian authorities should expedite the safe exit of students from the worst-hit Kyiv and Kharkiv cities on priority.
“The Russian border is about 30 km from the heart of Kharkiv city and this short-distance route should be preferred. The borders of Holland and Hungary are about 1,000 km from Kharkiv and the 16-hour train journey is risky,” he added.
A student from Patiala, who did not want to be named, was among 15 students who left Kyiv for Lviv near the Poland border.
These students had reached Kyiv on February 24 to board a flight.
But they were stuck due to the cancellation of flights and shifted to a school near the Indian embassy.
“After spending four days in hostile conditions, on Monday they took the risk and left for Lviv on a train. We are keeping our fingers crossed for their safety,” said Piyush Goyal, his friend from Mansa district, who is also stranded in Kharkiv.
