The Indian Embassy in Kyiv had asked Indian students in Kharkiv to leave by 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
Many parents from Odisha have stated that their children are unable to leave Kharkiv because they cannot get a train or any other mode of transportation.
Despite the fact that Indian Embassy officials in war-torn Ukraine urged Indian students in Kharkiv to leave by 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday, parents of many students from Odisha have said that their children are still in the Ukrainian city.
The students were advised to leave Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, in an advisory issued by the Indian embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday afternoon. The students were asked to relocate to nearby cities such as Babaye, Pesochin, and Bezlyudovka amid fears that the Russian assault on the city would intensify by evening.
Samar Biswas, the 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 was unable to do so despite his best efforts. “He arrived at the station early in the morning and waited to board a train.” He missed two trains because Ukrainian authorities prioritised their nationals and denied Indian students access to the trains. “He left the station after more than 7 hours of waiting,” Biswas said.
Biswas stated that his son and 40 other Indian students wanted to leave the city before evening but decided to spend the night in an underground bunker because it might not be safe to travel after that time. “Even though Indian embassy officials in Kyiv keep advising students to leave, how will they travel without any arrangements?” he wondered.
Basant Nayak’s concerns in Jajpur district grew after his 19-year-old son Pralay Nayak, a second-year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University, failed to board a train after waiting for 3-4 hours at the Kharkiv station. “He has been staying in an underground metro station near his university for the past six days.” On Wednesday, he arrived at Pivdennyi Vokzal station early in the morning to catch a train to the Romanian border. However, because he was unable to board the train due to Ukrainian officials barring Indian students, he and three other students from his batch began walking for a location 25 kilometres away,” Nayak explained.
The 19-year-situation old’s has been exacerbated by the loss of his rucksack, which contained several valuable items, including his passport. “I’m not sure how he’ll board the plane even if he gets to the Romanian border.” He’s been getting by on potato chips, biscuits, and tap water. “It’s snowing all around there, and I’m wondering how he’ll survive the winter if he walks for too long,” a worried Nayak said.
Similarly, in Kalahandi district’s Bhabanipatna town, the parents of Jyotirmayee Das, a third-year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University, have been crying because she was unable to board a train or make alternative travel arrangements. “I’m just asking the federal government and the state government to make some arrangements to get my daughter out.” We were only able to keep in touch with her via WhatsApp call. “But we feel helpless,” said Jyotirmayee’s mother, Sanjulata Das.
According to Barsha, another medical student from Odisha who was able to board a train from Kharkiv, many of her friends are still stuck there. “While we are being pushed out, Ukrainians are being allowed to leave.” “The Embassy has told us to leave Kharkiv by 6 p.m., but how can we leave when there is no public transportation?” she wondered.
In New Delhi, Odisha’s resident commissioner, Ravi Kant, stated that 27 students from Odisha have already arrived in India, with another 150 on their way. “We are in contact with the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs), and once the Odisha students arrive in New Delhi, we will make arrangements for their free travel to Odisha.” We believe there are only about 100 Odisha students still in Ukraine, and we hope that everyone returns,” he said.
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