Amid the Russia-Ukraine War, students from Seemanchal, Bihar and other parts of India are stranded and need help urgently from MEA.
A student, Sadaf Zarrin sent out an urgent voice message, sounding very tired as they had not slept for days, and she occasionally broke down belaying the fears the students were facing in Vinnytsia, Ukraine saying, “We are in the basement of our university, which is not a bunker, feeling helpless while some students are at the hostel, some at their apartments, and others hiding in the basement.”
She went on to say that they were awoken at 4 a.m. by alarms and left for the basement, keeping water, documents, and foodstuff such as biscuits, juice, and emergency medicines with them.
According to the inputs received by The Human Soul, an NGO working in Uttar Dinajpur and Seemanchal area, she said that there were no updates from the Indian Embassy, except initially they told the students they would help them evacuate from the borders of Poland, Hungary, and Romania but have not heard from them since.
Sadaf Zarrin added that she is from Vinnytsia, a city in Ukraine, which is around 1000 kilometers from the borders and there is no transportation and no way they can go to the border on their own. She said they are stuck and only the government could help them, but the Ministry of External Affairs is unable to help them at present.
She said, “There’s fear, there’s a lot of fear, our lives are in danger.” She said in tears, “I love you all, but don’t panic, maybe, I may not be able to reply to you all because we are looking at survival. Don’t worry, we are safe, nothing has happened in Vinnytsia yet.”
She requested, “All of you, please reach out to your friends, family members and request them to constantly call the Ministry of External Affairs and ask them to help us how to reach the borders of Poland, Hungary, and Romania because there is martial law and we cannot travel on our own, it is a 1000 kilometers distance with airstrikes along the way, so definitely cannot go on our own.”
A student here is instructing how they will execute plans to escape to two different borders, Uzhhorod or Chernivtsi trying to arrange buses along with the university and feel they will not send anyone to Poland. He instructed the first, second and third-year student volunteers to make a combined team for each year and make an XL sheet with all details to estimate the number of buses, and none should be left behind, the details would be sent to the embassy to get the buses. A lot of effort is put in, with the hope that the embassy will help as soon as possible.
She also said, “We have not slept for days and we are trying to rest and sustain our health.”
Sadaf Zarrin also said that there are students from different parts of India, such as Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, and other parts of India, and urged the people to reach out to the government to put pressure on the government to help them reach the borders.
Sadaf Zarrin asked all the people to help on social media and to share her voice message so that they could get help as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the war rages and evacuation flight depart from Delhi for Budapest to bring back students.
Hundreds have died while 50,000 flee from Ukraine in just 48 hours, and sparked terrors of a new Cold War in Europe.
Notably, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihat, Araria, and Uttar Dinajpur are called Seemanchal and a great number of students are from Seemanchal, Bihar stranded in Ukraine as well as from different parts of India and it is hoped that help will come to these students as soon as possible.
Coursey: Facebook
In the meantime, the Ukraine President speaks to PM Modi, seeks political support at UNSC. The Ukrainian forces are trying to hold the Russians at bay on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv.