New Delhi: Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stranded Indian students have alleged harassment at the Romanian and Poland borders. The students also said that many of the girls students were assaulted by the soldiers posted at these two borders. The Indian Embassy on Sunday had issued a guideline advising Indian citizens to move away from conflict zones to the Western region bordering Poland, Romania and Hungary subject to the security situation and the extant regulations.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, an Indian student stuck in Kharkiv on the condition of anonymity said that with each passing day our situation is worsening here in the bunkers. "We are seeing videos and are being informed by the Indian students stuck in Ukraine that those students, who were being taken from Kyiv to the Western borders for safer evacuation faced brutality from the Russian Army and at borders of Poland and Romania."
He added that "the Ukrainian forces did not let the Indian students cross and Russian Army then fired shots. Amidst this war, girl students were taken away by the Russian forces and even at the borders with Poland, the security forces there thrashed a few of the students. Girls are being molested there and it's a very bad situation. Amidst all this, the Indian Embassy left these students to suffer and are not even attending to our calls."
"Based on the latest inputs, intense fighting is underway in Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv. It is reiterated, Indian nationals in these cities and other cities where curfew has been imposed are not advised to venture towards railway stations until curfew has been lifted and considerable Indian movement is renewed (sic)," read the second advisory of the day issued by the Indian embassy in Ukraine on Sunday.
Another Indian student Ameen stranded in Kharkiv said that they are already facing food and water shortage. "There is food shortage here. We are trapped in groups here and we are also sharing our food supplies. But, it's depleting rapidly and we don't know what's is in store ahead. The Indian Embassy here has been issuing guidelines, but the ground situation here is extremely bad".
"How will the Embassy ensure our safe evacuation when we are being advised to stay where we are," he asked worryingly.
The third evacuation flight carrying 240 Indians from Budapest arrived in Delhi on Sunday while the second evacuation flight from the Romanian capital Bucharest carrying 250 Indian nationals arrived in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Indian students stuck in the Eastern part and areas far away from the western borders of Ukraine are also fearing for their safer evacuation.
To tackle this problem and to bring back all Indian nationals trapped in Ukraine, PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday night. The meeting was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla among others.
Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday tweeted "24x7 Control Centres have been set up to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals through the border crossing points with Poland, Romania, Hungary and the Slovak Republic."
