'Walk, but leave Kharkiv': 17,000 Indians have left Ukraine borders

Student from Punjab suffers stroke, second death of Indian in Ukraine in two days

In terse capital letters, an advisory from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv ordered Indians to leave Kharkiv immediately, on foot if necessary, as a student from Punjab died of a stroke, possibly brought on by anxiety, for which he was already under treatment.  

“There has been a sharp increase in the number of Indians who have left Ukraine. We now estimate that nearly 17,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine borders since our advisories were issued,” Spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said, even as Russia promised “humanitarian corridors” for the safe passage of Indians caught in the war. Around 2,500 Indian students are thought to be still stuck in the city.

In the midst of all this, a throwaway remark by a Union minister about the qualifications of those who go abroad to study medicine because they lack the intellectual bandwidth for medical education in India, sparked off widespread outrage. Even Russia regretted the killing of Naveen Gyanagoudar in the shelling in Kharkiv with Russian ambassador-designate Denis Alipov promising there will be an investigation into the death of the Indian student. 

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi drew Opposition ire when he said Indian students resorted to going abroad to study because they were not good enough to become doctors in India. Gyanagoudar’s father responded with dignity, saying his son had gone to study in Ukraine because despite very high grades, medical education was too expensive in India. He said his entire family had contributed to sending Naveen to Ukraine, so that he could become a doctor. “We’re not rich people, but my son was talented and we thought he deserved an opportunity,” he said. Joshi’s remarks were assailed by Opposition leaders. Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter: “Shockingly insensitive and atrocious statement by Minister Pralhad Joshi to cover up the Modi government’s failures and its preoccupation with PR exercises. NaMo’s only mantra is NATO ‘No Action Tamasha Only’!”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s biggest priority at the moment was to ensure all Indians returned from the war zone safely. Speaking at public meetings in Robertsganj in Uttar Pradesh (UP), ahead of the last phase of polling in UP on March 7, the PM said he had spoken to many world leaders to stop the war but the immediate preoccupation was evacuation of Indians.  The government said 15 flights are scheduled over the next 24 hours, some already en route. Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft have joined Operation Ganga with the first C-17 flight from Bucharest (Romania) expected to return to Delhi later tonight. Three more IAF flights will be undertaken on Thursday from Budapest (Hungary), Bucharest (Romania), and Rzeszow (Poland).

As ministers made a beeline to greet the returning students, Congress Member of Parliament Manish Tewari tore into the Centre’s PR photo-ops with Indians evacuated from Ukraine.

“Behaviour of some of these ministers is absolutely absurd and laughable... clamouring on to aircraft in order to do their own political public relations and propaganda. The government is not doing anybody a favour, it’s their job,” he said. At the airport were Union ministers Smriti Irani, Jitendra Singh, and Gajendra Shekhawat. The National Disaster Response Force has sent relief material, including blankets and sleeping mats, to Ukraine. This is the second tranche after medicines were sent in the first tranche. India has offered its assistance to students from neighbouring countries who are stranded there.