Fearing the spillover of the war in Ukraine, Indians studying in neighboring Belarus are preparing to leave for India, despite the opposition guarantees from universities and local governments.
Students are panicking in Belarus and Indian families are worried about their well-being as the war in Ukraine enters its 12th day on Monday and tensions between Kyiv and Moscow show no signs of easing. Said that.
President Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine on the night of February 23. Belarus, Europe’s largest landlocked country and bordering two war-torn countries, has been accused of supporting Russia.
Sourav, a medical student at the National Medical University of Belarus, said he and his friends booked a flight to India on March 10.
“I’m worried because the war isn’t over. Panic swallowed Belarus when the violence broke out in Ukraine. There was no violence in Belarus, but everyone is worried. So the students leave the country. I decided on it, “he said.
“We urged university authorities to allow us to leave. Earlier, they denied the request, saying there was no violence in Belarus, so (in Minsk) (in India). We decided to approach the embassy. After the embassy talked with the university authorities, they allowed us to leave, “he added.
According to Sourav, some students have already left Belarus and others are waiting to book a ticket as the price has doubled.
He said the Indian embassy assured students that “if the need arises, those who decide to stay will be evacuated.”
Prafulla Chandran, a student coordinator in Kerala, spoke to PTI on the phone, saying the students were worried and their parents’ concerns prompted them to leave Belarus.
“There is no violence in Belarus and everything is normal. Only a few ATMs can’t pay out cash. But students are still planning to leave the country. Some are leaving and some are leaving. Booked a ticket for next week, “he said.
Belarus State Medical College and Gomel Medical College allow students to take a four-week vacation to return home, he said, no online classes are held and students go to college to attend classes. He added that he had to go back.
He claimed that Belarus has about 1,500 Indian students.
Chandran emphasized that the students departed on their own and that the Indian embassy did not arrange flights.
When violence occurs in Ukraine, the Indian Embassy in Minsk asks the Indian people of Belarus to fill out a form that provides important information such as places that may be useful in the event of an evacuation need. did.
Students are asked to continue communicating about Whatsapp groups created for each university. Non-student members of the Diaspora are being asked to follow the Whatsapp group for the community, “the embassy tweeted on February 24.
Belarus’ Association of Indian Student Parents (PAISB) recommends Andhra Pradesh’s Prime Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to take immediate action by relevant authorities to evacuate Indian students (mostly Telugu) from Belarus. I requested.
“Order the evacuation of our children immediately,” the association said in the letter.
The US Consulate pointed out that it had issued a recommendation to citizens to leave Belarus “reflecting the seriousness of the situation.”
“We plead that the same plight as Ukrainian Indian students should not fall on our children,” PAISB said.
Veera Kiran, whose daughter is a sixth-year medical student at Gomel State University in Belarus, said: We are concerned about the safety of our children. The situation can get worse in Belarus. The Government of India has launched “Operation Ganga” to evacuate civilians from the war-hit Ukraine. However, evacuation from eastern Ukraine remains a challenge as it has witnessed heavy artillery and air strikes.
Ukrainian airspace has been closed since February 24 due to a Russian military attack.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is automatically generated from the Syndicate Feed.)
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