An associate professor from the Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College & Research Institute, Tiruchi, is stranded in Israel, amidst the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
S. Rathika, 40, who is on a two-month training programme on drip irrigation at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, left for Israel on September 23, 2023, before the conflict broke out.
“My wife has been spending sleepless nights at Negev, which is close to Gaza,” said T. Ramesh, Rathika’s husband, also an associate professor, and Head of the Department of Agronomy at Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU).
According to Ramesh, Rathika is currently hiding in an underground bunker, awaiting rescue, following the breaking out of the conflict in the region. “Whenever the sirens wail, she has to rush to the basement and take shelter in a bunker, where she stays for around 30 minutes to an hour, or sometimes until the sirens cease,” he said.
Ramesh said that for the past four days, he has only been able to contact his wife through WhatsApp messages and messages her several times a day to enquire about her safety. He said that while Rathika is safe at present, she is very anxious to return home.
Ramesh also said that Rathika’s parents are equally worried and that their 13-year-old son is eagerly waiting to meet his mother. “We are anxious about the uncertainty and how long this war will last,” he added.
Ramesh said the Indian Embassy had already contacted Rathika and have said they will process her request at the earliest. “Rathika and I have been in constant touch with the T.N. government since the war began, and so was the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University vice-chancellor V. Geethalakshmi, to arrange for her rescue,” he said.
