Most of the students stranded on the Ukraine-Romania border and other areas there are not even in a position to send SOS messages, as their mobiles are dead. They are unable to find any provision to charge their mobile phones. The students are clueless and waiting for a helping hand while braving snowfall on roads near the borders.
One of the students was injured due to “tear grenade hurled by the security forces.” She has been identified as Priyanka, a student of Vinnytsia National Medical University.
The Hindu could contact a couple of students who either managed to cross the border or have their phones working. “It’s hell for the students,” they said
They were left with no food, and were braving the snowfall on the street. For the last two nights, they could clear the border. There are about 2,000 students on the Ukraine-Romania border, but they were supplied a box of 40 apples. They said: “No one seems to be taking action over there.”
Khyati Deepika, a student of medicine from Guntur district, was one among those who was stranded on the border. She said: “No food, no shelter. Not allowing us to move further. My phone is almost dead. Pls alert the Indian Embassy.” There was no facility to charge the mobiles, many students had dead phones on their hands. The connectivity with the outside world had been lost, she says.
The students alleged that Ukrainian shops and residents had also turned hostile against them. First, ATMs were not working. Even if someone had cash on hand, it was useless. The cafes were not allowing Indian students to enter. There are two food cafes on the border but they are not allowing the Indian students.
Sharing their harrowing experiences, Anshumali Tiwari, a 5th year medicine student, said: “Hey, I crossed the border with a lot of difficulty! They are treating (us) like animals(.) throwing grenade (tear) on students, (and) open air firing.” She says that one girl was injured in a grenade incident. Priyanka is also from Vinnytsia National Medical University. She is safe and crossed the border, says Ms. Anshumali, who hails from Chhattisgarh.
Further details of Ms. Priyanka could not be ascertained due to loss of connectivity.
2014 situation
Pavan, who completed MD physician course from Ukraine a few years ago, recalls that they faced a similar situation in 2014. The evacuation was simply best that time. Sushma Swaraj was Minister for External Affairs then.
They did it so well. There was no miscommunication. “Embassy response is worse this time. It’s not time to blame anyone now. There are around 15 medical universities. Our Embassy should come to their rescue,” he said.
Sharing videos, the students said Ukraine border forces were kicking and harassing Indian students. Videos of scores of students waiting at the Ukraine-Romania border have gone viral.
Task force
The Andhra Pradesh government constituted a Task Force Committee headed by Principal Secretary Transport, Roads and Buildings M.T. Krishna Babu. AP Bhavan Resident Commissioner Praveen Prakash, and Mr. Krishna Babu did not respond to the messages sent in this regard.
