Eurasian crisis: Safe evacuation of Indians

As Russian aggression has reached to capital Kyiv, issue of safety of stranded Indian students in the country has become prime concern. According to the official data 20,000 Indian students study in various institutes around 15,000 Indian students are currently in the war-zone nation of Ukraine. A large number of students belong to various states currently study there. If go by the claims over 2000-2500 students belongs to Gujrat alone. Other students belong to both southern states as well as northern part of India.  Leaders of these states have requested the centre to provide help and support to stranded students.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of safety and safe passage for these students during telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the PM exhorted immediate cessation of violence and return to the path of diplomatic dialogue, he also sensitized the Russian President about India’s concerns regarding the safely of the Indian citizens in Ukraine. This will certainly pave the way for easier and safer return for Indian students in the war zone of Ukraine. Commercial flights in this conflicting zone have already been suspended. Indian Ambassador in Kyiv has promised to provide them all possible help. An official communication to provide protection to Indian diaspora has been sent to the Ukrainian government by the Indian embassy in Kyiv. Several teams too have been constituted to evacuate these students through road or land borders in Ukraine. It is notable Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic and Romania are connected with the Ukrainian border. Now these teams have been deployed for safe evacuation from the war-zone nation. (YC)