Kalyani Biji, first year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University, is reduced to her last apple, hiding in a bunker for almost a week as shelling and firing goes on outside in the war ravaged eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
“She tells me over the phone that she is saving that apple for when she really needs it,” says Parvathi Benu, her cousin, in Chennai, with emotion choking her voice.
Biji and hundreds of other students at the KNMU have been sheltering in bunkers since last Thursday hoping to be rescued, but the death of a fellow Indian on Tuesday has shattered their confidence. With rations stored with them running out, they are getting desperate.
“With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.
Seeking amabassadors’ support
Bagchi said that the Foreign Secretary was calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India’s demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones.
“From the Indian side, the preparations for evacuation have been in place for sometime now. An Indian team has been positioned in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. However, the conflict situation in and around Kharkiv and nearby cities has been an obstacle. Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to our need for safe passage urgently,” a source told BusinessLine.
Indian Air Force to the rescue
The Centre has now decided to use the Indian Air Force (IAF), in addition to commercial flights, to evacuate an estimated 12,000 Indian nationals, including students, still stuck in Ukraine, the source said.
“In places where the conflict has not endangered movement, we have been able to evacuate our citizens. More than 9000 Indian nationals have been brought out of Ukraine while a considerable number are now in safer areas,” the source added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held yet another high-level meeting on Tuesday, the fourth since Sunday, to discuss the Ukraine situation and how to evacuate all citizens. “The government’s priority is evacuation of Indian students. This will stay our focus,” the source said.
“Evacuation of students from Kharkiv is our priority,” said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla at a press briefing on Tuesday evening.