Ukraine crisis: Parents of Indian students harried and worried for children staying there

Sanjay Yadav

Gurugram, February 17

With tension between Ukraine and Russia rising with each passing day, families of medical students studying there are left panicked or harried. Several parents across Gurugram and Faridabad have issued appeals to the government to arrange immediate evacuation of their wards.

The parents claim they are getting desperate calls from children but are unable to get air tickets. Many institutions are even running out of food stock.

“I have been trying to arrange a flight for my daughter but have been unable to do so. She is saying that her institution is running low on food supply and even her professors have asked them to flee the country”, said Narender Pawar of Jyoti Park colony.

Pawar’s daughter Yashika is a fourth year medical student in Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University.

Similarly, the parents of Ipsita Khandelwal are terrified.

“She seems very scared and so are her other 15 Indian friends in university. We have been trying to book tickets even at double the rate but cannot get a flight. We just want our daughter back,” adds her mother Sunaina Khandelwal.

Her daughter is a student of Kharkiv National Medical University. She says that the university has not allowed online classes but students will have to cover up missed classes and that is what is leaving many students in fix.

“My both children are studying medicine there. Their university is 2000 km from the border so the situation is still better there but still they are booking tickets,” said Mansoor Khan from Faridabad.

Over 20,000 Indians are presently in Ukraine including 18,000 students. According to the website of the ministry of education and science of Ukraine, 24% of overseas students in Ukraine are from India.

While states like MP and Rajasthan have prepared a list of their students and are coordinating with the Central government, Haryana is yet to start the process, according to parents.