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As video of Indians waiting in freezing cold in Kyiv goes viral, Embassy says…
A video of Indian students waiting outside the Indian Embassy in Kyiv requesting officials to at least make seating arrangements has gone viral as several politicians including Priyanka Chaturvedi, Manish Tewari shared them on social media.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine's capital Kyiv has issued a fresh advisory for students who are stranded without a place to stay in Kyiv. Sharing a list of nearby bomb shelters many of which are located in underground metros, the embassy asked the students to consult Google maps as well to locate nearby bomb shelters. "While Mission is identifying possible solution to the situation, please be aware of your surroundings, be safe, do not leave your homes, unless necessary and carry your documents with you at all times," the embassy said.
"As you are aware, Ukraine is under martial law, which has made movement difficult. For those students who are stranded without a place of stay in Kyiv, Mission is in touch with establishments to put them up," the Embassy said.
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Sources in the embassy admitted that a large number of Indian students in Ukraine turned up outside the embassy but all could not be accommodated inside the Embassy premises. “Accordingly, the Embassy organized safe premises nearby and the students were moved there. This process took some time given the ground situation in Kyiv. No Indian national is currently stranded outside the Embassy. As fresh students arrive, they are being moved to the safe premises. Embassy is continuing to assist Indian nationals, including students, in Ukraine,” an embassy official said.
'Bring our people back home': States urge Centre after Russia attacks Ukraine
As Russia attacked Ukraine on Thursday morning, Ukraine airspace was shut forcing an Air India flight to return without landing in Ukraine. Several videos of Indian students waiting for help in the capital has gone viral with many politicians tweeting them and asking the government to take action.
Sharing one such viral video, Congress leader Manish Tewari wrote, "This merits the attention of @MEAIndia. I would request @DrSJaishankar to advise our Embassy in Kiev to help our young people to the best of their ability. At least allow them to take sheltering in the Embassy permises."
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took to social media and urged to PM Modi to prioritise the rescue of the Indian students in Ukraine. "Receiving a number of desperate messages from families of students stranded in Ukraine and needing evacuation. Pradhanmantri ji, this is not the time for electoral strategy. Thousands of our students are stuck in Ukraine. Set your priority," Tharoor tweeted.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also shared a video where a student said students from many universities have gathered together as there is no local transport available; the embassy was not responding, the students said in the viral video.
The Embassy said it is open and continuously working to find a solution to the crisis in which many Indians found themselves on Thursday morning. "The situation is highly tense and very uncertain and this of course is causing a lot of anxiety," the embassy said.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala criticised the government's planning on this issue and said the government should have planned better when there was time. “Turning away its face in every difficult situation...And remaining silent has become a habit of the Modi government. Our 20,000 Indian youth in Ukraine are forced to grapple with fear, apprehension and life-threatening situations,” he said. "Why were arrangements not made in time to bring them safely? Is this the 'self-reliant' mission," Surjewala tweeted.
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the government is making alternative arrangements for evacuation in the wake of the closure of airspace.
(With inputs from Rezaul Hasan Laskar)
