The images of Indian students stranded in Sumy, Ukraine in dire conditions and their plea for help is utterly disheartening. Scores of students are stranded in the University and have run out of food and water for days now. Videos show students collecting snow from the campus and boiling it for drinking purposes. Students stuck in Sumy say that their classmates from other countries like Tanzania and Egypt were being evacuated but nothing was forthcoming from the Indian mission.
 It is indeed beyond imagination that in today’s progressive world, we are waging an all-out offensive, killing innocent civilians, decimating cities, and displacing tens of thousands. The humanitarian crisis unfolding is of mammoth proportions which will have ramifications long into the future.
Proof that thousands of Indian students and civilians are still stranded in war-torn Ukraine is a matter of concern and also points to a rather slack response in gauging and handling the unfolding of the crisis. Countries such as South Korea, Kenya began evacuating their nationals in the first ten days of February amid looming tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv, on the other hand, was slow to respond and the first advisory, the wording of which was lacking in clarity and urgency, was issued on February 15. On February 17, India said it had no immediate plan to evacuate its citizens or diplomatic staff. India’s Foreign Secretary on March 1, went on record to say that no Indian citizens are left in the most adversely hit city of Kyiv, and that the Indian Embassy was being shut down, a claim which has been proven to be utterly false.
India’s handling of the evacuation of its nationals from Ukraine despite the seriousness of the hour has been turned into a tasteless PR exercise with political heavyweights of the BJP government engaging in fanfare and heaping praises on the Prime Minister equating him as “savior”. One is filled with incredulity to see evacuated students being asked to say “Modi ji ki Jai”. The discomfort of students on being prompted to join the ridiculous chant was written large on their faces.
Evacuation of its nationals during a time of crisis is the duty of an elected government. In the past, many rescue missions have been carried out quietly and without fanfare. This tradition should have been followed.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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