After the attack by Russia, the situation has only worsened in Ukraine and hundreds of Indian students who are stranded were using social media to make desperate appeals to the government on Thursday, February 24, so that they could come back to India safe and sound.
Many videos are emerging on social media where Indian students, with tears in their eyes, were seen urging authorities in India to make arrangements for their safe return. Now, the videos have gone viral and many public figures are even sharing them and urging the government to take action, as stated in a report in PTI.
In one video, about a dozen distressed students were seen stranded at a railway station in Kyiv, the national capital of Ukraine. "We are very worried. We are stuck at the railway station from last night. The embassy is not replying. We do not have anywhere to go, no taxi is available. No help from the embassy. What should we do?" one of the students was seen saying in the video, as quoted in a report by PTI.
In yet another video, students were seen waiting outside the Indian Embassy with their packed bags.
According to estimates, there are over 20,000 students from India who are currently studying in Ukraine. Voices from all around India are growing louder in their appeal to the government to ensure that students come back home to India safely.
Actor Sonu Sood tweeted that there are over 18,000 Indian students and many families who are stuck in Ukraine. He was sure that the government must be trying its best to get them back and urged the Indian Embassy to find an alternate route for evacuation of students, he posted, adding that he was praying for their safety.
KT Rama Rao, Telangana's IT and industries minister, made an appeal to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar via Twitter so that in this time of distress, the safe return of the Indian students in Ukraine was ensured. He also mentioned that he was receiving several messages from anxious students' parents. He expressed hope that via diplomatic channels, the Government of India can work out a solution.
Activists of NSUI (National Students' Union of India), Indian National Congress' student wing, staged a protest outside the Ministry of External Affairs to demand evacuation and safe return of Indian students.
Several meetings were conducted by the top government brass handling strategic affairs to put into action contingency plans to assist those Indians who are stranded in Ukraine.
