With 1300 Indian students rescued, 16,000 still remain stuck in Ukraine, with Ukrainians getting preference to cross borders, Indians kicked.
On Sunday, foreign secretary Shringla briefed reporters on the rescue mission for Indian students. He said, a multi-pronged evacuation plan, code-named Operation Ganga was launched to fly stranded citizens out of Ukraine. There are approximately 20,000 Indians, mostly students living in Ukraine. Of them, 4,000 had moved out before the conflict began on the grounds of the advisory dispatched by the embassy in Kyiv.
According to Shringla around 15,000 Indians are stuck in the country. So far 1,000 students have been brought back from Ukraine and more will come through the week. Four flights have already arrived with students evacuated from Romania and Hungary and two flights are likely to depart Sunday night or Monday morning.
With 16,000 Indian students still stuck in Ukraine, many have shared photos and videos on social media from underground bunkers, metro stations, and bomb shelters, where they have been hiding since the Russian attack started last Thursday.
#Indianstudents stuck in #Romania feel as if the #IndianEmbassy has forsaken them. (1/n) #Ukraine
#Indianstudents stuck in #Romania feel as if the #IndianEmbassy has forsaken them. (1/n)#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/5iyEq4Lq6t — The Federal (@TheFederal_in) March 1, 2022
These #indianstudents are stuck at the more dangerous East side of #Ukraine which shares a border with #Russia on 3 sides. They are out of Money n food & r in the middle of the warzone. If the Govt wasn’t sleeping all this whole they could have been evacuated earlier #IndiaHasWeakPM
These #indianstudents are stuck at the more dangerous East side of #Ukraine which shares border with #Russia on 3 sides. They are out of Money n food & r in the middle of the warzone. If the Govt wasnt sleeping all this whole they could have been evacuated earlier#IndiaHasWeakPM pic.twitter.com/9rmYJadzME — Vinay Kumar Dokania (@VinayDokania) March 1, 2022
With 1300 rescued Indian students, a large number of 16,000 remain stuck in Ukraine, with Ukrainians getting preference to cross borders, Indians get shoved, kicked and made to wait.
#NaveenShekharappa, the Indian Student who lost his life due to #Russian shelling in #Kharkiv stepped outside the metro station to buy food for other Indian students. The rest have abandoned the plan to leave and will soon run out of supplies!
#NaveenShekharappa , the Indian Student who lost his life due to #Russian shelling in #Kharkiv stepped outside the metro station to buy food for other Indian students. The rest have abandoned the plan to leave and will soon run out of supplies!#indianstudents #UkraineRussiaWar pic.twitter.com/oeh0Bpr1Pj — Harteerath Singh (@HarteerathSingh) March 1, 2022
security forces of #Ukraine and its neighboring European countries are committing atrocities with #indianstudents . Ukraine wants to face Russian forces by making Indian students their shield.#IStandWithPutin#UkraineRussiaWar#IStandWithRussiahttps://t.co/2YhA7kC4WS pic.twitter.com/BrZ2sUUIkL — INC akhter (@INC_akhter) March 2, 2022
pic.twitter.com/5yjxLO2e5X — Save India (@PatrioticChip) March 2, 2022
BJP leader, Priti Gandhi made a controversial statement on Twitter that conflicted against ground reality, “While India has already evacuated almost 60% of its people, China’s first batch left just now as per their state-owned media. #OperationGanga
While India has already evacuated almost 60% of its people, China’s first batch left just now as per their state owned media.#OperationGanga https://t.co/ZRE2G79duW — Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) March 2, 2022
The truth on the ground is a series of videos showing thousands of Indians stranded in Ukraine, terrified, beaten at the borders, Ukrainian citizens given preference to cross the borders. A student said there was no one to help them, and for three days, they walked 31 kilometers and did not sleep a wink, without food and water. There was no governmental presence in Ukraine. They were told to manage their own problems, so the two sisters booked a cab and then reaching an area, the two of them walked miles alone, in subzero -8 to -9 degrees in icy weather walking in howling storms and wind amid lashing rains. They managed to survive the cold by wearing all the clothes they had!
When they finally reached the borders, the Ukrainians were allowed to go through and Indians were withheld.
When the reporter asked if there was no one to help, the student said there was no Indian embassy presence in Ukraine to help the students, and only across the border in Poland did they get help from the Indian embassy in Poland.
We didn’t get any help… For 3 days we walked for 31 kilometers hungry and thirsty.
सरकार के बड़े बडे वायदे फैल दिखाई दे रहे है, यूक्रेन से आई भारतीय छात्रा की आपबीती हमें कोई हेल्प नहीं मिली… 3 दिन तक हम भूखे-प्यासे 31 किलोमीटर तक पैदल चले" #IndiansInUkrainehttps://t.co/isdXUQYRto pic.twitter.com/lHsJ5HtiCd — Ramurti Holkar (@__Ramholkar) March 2, 2022
pic.twitter.com/ZchKIxY5HY — Subhash Sharma (@IamSubhash242) March 2, 2022
pic.twitter.com/LKRUUC4w19 — Subhash Sharma (@IamSubhash242) March 2, 2022
pic.twitter.com/453TWIkbiO — Subhash Sharma (@IamSubhash242) March 2, 2022
pic.twitter.com/0vrxU9w9GV — Subhash Sharma (@IamSubhash242) March 2, 2022
60 percent??? pic.twitter.com/INOQHqP2p2 — Subhash Sharma (@IamSubhash242) March 2, 2022
Thank you @INCOverseas team 💐💐@itariqanwar #IndiansInUkraine #indianstudents https://t.co/CauY1J5ErP — Mayank Bhardwaj (@mbrwj123) March 1, 2022
Students from Ukraine crossed Poland border. Members from @INCOverseas Europe has taken care of them. A combined effort from @INCKerala and IOC Europe. Show this thread
Can’t thank you enough To Indian Embassy🇮🇳 and Romanian’s Peoples 🇷🇴 for your all the efforts now we are in shelter and crossed the border safely and they are providing Food , Juice @eoiromania @MAERomania @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @ashokgehlot51 #indianstudents pic.twitter.com/2WS5CX2jyQ — dhruvv (@dhruvdosi18) February 28, 2022
Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi said, “To avert further tragedy, GOI must share:
1. How many students have been evacuated. 2. How many are still stranded in Ukraine. 3. Region-wise detailed evacuation plan.
We owe a clear strategy & communication to the families involved.”
The Government is fooling people with the help of the media. Celebration of 1300 rescued students in media is to cover up the failure of diplomacy for the rest of 18000+ students. — Pankaj Saraf ✋ (@saraf_pankaj) March 2, 2022
A citizen wrote, “The Government is fooling people with the help of the media.
Celebration of 1300 rescued students in media is to cover up the failure of diplomacy for the rest of 18000+ students.”
The numbers of rescued Indian students vary from different sources, and while others managed to escape through special flights, the fact is 16, 000 plus students remain, terrified, feeling unsupported within Ukraine without the presence of the Indian embassy during the way, which is very mystifying, freezing in subzero temperatures, without sleep, food, or water. At this time, it is crucial that national Media stop playing down the numbers and gravity of the situation in a bid to work on government fanfare because they are endangering the lives of the remaining students and they are liable to show the truth as it is.
Rita
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