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Indians pushed out of trains, bunkers in
Ukraine: K'taka student appeals for help
Bengaluru : More disturbing
news is coming from war-torn
Ukraine. The Karnataka students
stranded in the Kharkiv region have
said that local Ukrainian authorities
and the military are assaulting
Indian students and pointing guns at
them.
Harshitha, from the
Chikkaballapur district of
Karnataka, who is studying in
Ukraine, is one of the students still
stuck in Kharkiv. She spoke to the
media about the ordeal they are facing.
She said that Indian students are
not being allowed to board trains
arranged to evacuate people from
the region. "Indian students are
being pushed out of trains, they are
not allowed to board, if questioned
they are being assaulted and guns
are being pointed at them," she said.
"When the trains come to the
platforms, the doors are locked.
They allow only the Ukraninans to
board the trains. Among Ukrainians
also, children are boarded first, later
their mothers and then other women
and lastly the Ukrainian men are let
in," she said.
She said the Indian students were
not able to board the trains. They
were being charged 100 to 200 dollars
per head and even after paying,
Indians were not being allowed.
"We stayed in bunkers for five to six
days. When we knew that the train
was being arranged, we walked for
11 km. But, after reaching the train
station we could not board two
trains, one at 8 a.m. and another at
12.30 p.m.," she said.
"About 8 to 10 missiles were
fired very close to the train station
where I stood.
Whenever Indians questioned
them about not being allowed to
board trains they pointed guns and
threatened us. After missing trains,
there was heavy firing and we came
back to the shelter facility. Since
yesterday there is no food and it is
morning now and no one has told
anything about this. Presently, we
are staying in 2 to 3 hostel buildings.
They have kept 4 people in one
room," she said.
She said they have been trying to
contact the embassy, but they are not
getting through. "At the train station,
the authorities are not beating
Ukranians. Indians are tortured,
Indians students in the train were
pushed out and beaten up. There are
many incidents where Indians were
asked to leave bunkers. Ukraninans
are telling Indian students that India
is not supporting them and why
should they help them?" Harshitha
said.
"We had to carry our bags containing
our laptop, etc., and walk.
We kept the Indian flag on our heads
and kept running towards the railway
station, but it was of no use.
When we were returning, the missiles
were fired and buildings
destroyed. We have been asked not
to switch on the light and not to venture
out. Our snacks are running out.
If we are not rescued now, it is going
to be very difficult for us," she said.
Meanwhile, the family of medical
student Naveen Shekarappa
Gyanagoudar, who was killed in
Ukraine, is still waiting for news on
his dead body.
Anish, who returned to Karnataka
safely explained that he returned
from the West part of Ukraine.
"Indian students, especially girl students,
are awaiting evacuation at the
eastern borders. They are braving
snowfall without shelter. There are
about 18,000 to 20,000 Indian students
in Ukraine, only 6,000 have
returned. Most of them are stuck in
the Kharkiv and Kiev regions. The
embassy is not receiving calls, they
need urgent help," he said.
Widespread rain & snow
likely in J&K, Ladakh
during next 24 hours
Srinagar : Cloudy weather with light rain
and snow occurred in J&K and Ladakh on
Thursday as the Meteorological (MeT)
department forecast widespread moderate to
heavy rain and snow during the next 24 hours.
An official of the MeT department said,
"Moderate to heavy rain/snow is likely to
occur in J&K and Ladakh during the next 24
hours." Srinagar had 4.6, Pahalgam 0.5 and
Gulmarg minus 4.4 degrees Celsius as the
minimum temperature.
Drass town of Ladakh had minus 11.7, Leh
minus 4.6 and Kargil minus 9.0 as the night's
lowest temperature. Jammu city had 14.0,
Katra 12.4, Batote 4.9, Banihal and
Bhaderwah both had 4.6 as the minimum.
No hostage crisis in
Ukraine, says MEA
New Delhi : The Ministry of External
Affairs issued a statement on Thursday clarifying
that there was no hostage crisis in
Ukraine as the Russian invasion of Kiev
entered the eighth day.
In "response to media queries regarding
reports of Indian students being held hostage
in Ukraine", Ministry spokesperson Arindam
Bagchi said in the statement: "Our Embassy in
Ukraine is in continuous touch with Indian
nationals in Ukraine. We note that with the
cooperation of the Ukrainian authorities,
many students have left Kharkiv yesterday
(Wednesday).
"We have not received any reports of any
hostage situation regarding any student. We
have requested support of the Ukrainian
authorities in arranging special trains for taking
out students from Kharkiv and neighbouring
areas to the western part of the country.
"We have been coordinating effectively
with the countries in the region including
Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia
and Moldova. A large number of Indian
nationals have been evacuated from Ukraine
in the last few days.
"We appreciate the help extended by the
Ukrainian authorities to make this possible.
We thank Ukraine's western neighbours in
receiving Indian nationals and for accommodating
them while they waited for flights to
take them back home."
The statement came a day after Prime
Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the phone
with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during
which they reviewed the situation in Ukraine,
especially in the city of Kharkiv where many
Indian students are stuck.
They discussed the safe evacuation of the
Indian nationals from the conflict areas.