Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vande Mataram... Vande Mataram... Vande Mataram... These are the happy cheers of 51 students who left the Ternopil city for Romanian border at 10.30 am (2 pm IST) on Saturday. Among 51, there are 14 students from Madhya Pradesh.
They have booked a private bus for about Rs 1.28 lakh for 51 students, costing about Rs 2,500 (1000 UAH) per head, says 5th year MBBS student Aabhas Parihar, who hails from Bhopal.
The bus is scheduled to reach Romanian border by 2 pm (5.30 pm IST) if there are no disturbances during the road trip, he adds.
The students have put up Indian flags all around the buses and wrote Indian Students in bold letters.
“We cannot contain our relief and happiness that we're finally leaving Ukraine. Though it's a first step, though it has cost us fortune, we are hopeful to see the dawn of the next day in a free atmosphere and make way to our home thereafter,” says Parihar.
“We have emailed the embassy with our details enclosed. We have requested them to arrange for our evacuation from the borders. The embassy could not arrange for our inter-state travel here. But I hope they pull us out from the border in time,” he adds.
His friend, Satyam Sabbarwal, says, “We are hopeful. Though our friends and fellow Indians are stuck on Polish and Romanian borders for a long time, but we are hoping they're rescued before we reach the borders and we are the next to be rescued.”
Home minister of Madhya Pradesh, Narottam Mishra, said on Saturday, “We have recieved the l information through the helpline number that we released that there are 122 MP students in Ukraine. Advisory was issued for evacuation from Hungary and Romania by Indian Embassy Warsaw, Uzhorod and Chernivsti border posts have been opened. And for evacuation through Indian Embassy Kiev via Poland, Border Post Krakovich has been opened.”
“The advisories have been issued keeping in mind the safety of all amidst the firing,” he added.
