BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Indian Embassy officials in war-torn Ukraine urged the Indian students in Kharkiv to leave the city by 6 pm local time on Wednesday, parents of many students from Odisha have said that their children have been stuck in the Ukrainian city.
In an advisory issued by the Indian embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday afternoon, the students were advised to leave Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country. The students were asked to at least move to nearby cities like Babaye, Pesochin and Bezlyudovka amid apprehensions that Russian assault on the city would become intense by evening.
In Ganjam district, Samar Biswas, father of Suraj Biswas, 22, a third year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University, said his son tried several times to board a train from Kharkiv to Romania, but could not make it despite all efforts. “He left for the station in the morning and waited to board a train. He missed two trains as Ukrainian authorities gave precedence to their nationals and prevented Indian students from getting onto the trains. He left the station after waiting for over 7 hours,” said Biswas.
Biswas said his son and 40 other Indian students wanted to get out of the city before evening, but decided to stay in some underground bunker for the night as it may not be safe for travel after evening. Though the Indian embassy officials in Kyiv keep advising students to leave, how would they travel without any arrangement,” he asked.
{{/usCountry}}Biswas said his son and 40 other Indian students wanted to get out of the city before evening, but decided to stay in some underground bunker for the night as it may not be safe for travel after evening. Though the Indian embassy officials in Kyiv keep advising students to leave, how would they travel without any arrangement,” he asked.
{{/usCountry}}In Jajpur district, Basant Nayak’s worries increased after his 19-year-old son Pralay Nayak, a second year MBBS student in Kharkiv National Medical University, failed to board a train at the Kharkiv station after waiting for 3-4 hours. “For the last 6 days, he has been staying in an underground metro station near his university. On Wednesday, he came to Pivdennyi Vokzal station early in the morning to catch a train that would have taken him to the Romanian border. But as he could not board the train due to Ukrainian officials preventing Indian students, he and 3 other students of his batch started walking for a place 25 km away,” said Nayak.
What has made the 19-year-old’s situation more precarious is his losing his rucksack that contained several valuable items including his passport. “I don’t know how he would board the plane even if he makes it to the Romanian border. He has been surviving on potato chips, biscuits and tap water. It is snowing all around there and I wonder how he would survive the winter if he walks for long,” said a distressed Nayak.
Similarly, in Bhabanipatna town of Kalahandi district, the parents of Jyotirmayee Das, a third year MBBS student in Kharkiv National Medical University, have been crying as she could not board a train or make alternative travel arrangements. “I just request the Centre and the state government to make some arrangements to get my daughter out. We have just managed to keep in touch with her on WhatsApp call. But we are feeling helpless,” said Sanjulata Das, mother of Jyotirmayee.
Barsha, another medical student from Odisha, who could board a train from Kharkiv, said, many of her friends are still stuck there. “Ukraine locals are being allowed to leave while we are being pushed out. The Embassy has told us to leave Kharkiv by 6 pm, but how can we leave the city when no means of transport is available,” she asked.
In New Delhi, resident commissioner of Odisha, Ravi Kant said so far 27 students from Odisha have landed in India while another 150 are on their way. “We are in touch with MEA (ministry of external affairs) and once the Odisha students arrive in New Delhi, we are making arrangements for their travel to Odisha free of cost. We believe there are just about 100 Odisha students still stuck in Ukraine and hopefully everyone would come back,” he said.