More than 60 percent of 20,000-odd Indian students stranded in war-torn Ukraine have been evacuated safely and hectic efforts are on to rescue remaining, the central government informed the Kerala high court on Wednesday.
The statement was filed in response to a petition moved by a lawyer couple, whose daughter was among stranded in Ukraine, requesting the court’s intervention for safe and expeditious repatriation of the students.
For students stranded in worst-hit Kharkiv advisory was given to stay put wherever they are for their physical safety in view of the prevailing situation.
The central government told the court under “Operation Ganga”, besides commercial aircraft, Indian Air Force flights have also been pressed into service to evacuate countrymen who crossed into Romania, Poland, Hungary and other neighbouring countries of Ukraine.
“Once situation is improved, stranded students in Kharkiv will be evacuated on priority basis. Our mission in Kyiv is in touch with most of the students and has been trying to make available provisions in the prevailing situation,” assistant solicitor general (ASG) Manu S informed the court. He also said Indian mission was in touch with Ukrainian authorities to ensure their safety and security.
“Under ‘Operation Ganga”, more than 2,000 Indian nationals have been brought back to India from neighbouring countries (Romania and Hungary). Around 6,000 Indian nationals have already crossed the borders of Ukraine and are presently in the neighbouring countries of Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova,” the MEA statement said adding they are being taken care of by the government of India.
The Centre also said anticipating the evacuation through the countries west of Ukraine, MEA teams — some led by the ambassadors — were positioned at the Polish, Romanian and Hungary side of the borders since February 25 to ensure onward evacuation.
On Monday, the Centre had told the court that four Union ministers were being sent to facilitate repatriation of the stranded.
Advocate Santhosh Mathew, who represented the petitioners, had told the court about practical difficulties faced by the students trapped in the war-hit cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv as well as by those who managed to reach the borders, but were not permitted to go through.
After they reached the border, they are faced with “mass discrimination and torture by the Ukrainian Army and the border patrol” and they are also made to wait for hours in the extreme cold weather, he claimed.
While hearing was on the petitioners informed court that students mentioned in their plea, including their daughter, have crossed into Hungary and are safe. However, they said they are concerned about remaining ones and the court later listed the matter for hearing on Thursday.
