Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Amid Russia’s bombings on Ukrain there are students hiding in bunkers and desperately seeking help over phone and through video clips that some of the students shared with Free Press urging the government to be rescued from Ukraine to return home..
Some Madhya Pradesh students have shared their plight in the videos they shared with Free Press from the bunkers they are staying in to protect themselves, on Friday.
Aashi Sharma, a fifth-year medical student who hails from Ujjain says, “There was news of the Russian attack from the past one month. The US president asked his citizens to leave Ukraine immediately and opened the Poland borders for them. They shifted their embassy to Poland. The universities in Ukraine continued to take offline classes, despite our parents’ concern. When the Indian embassy issued the advisory, it was a tad bit too late.”
Instagram Post of the student | FP Photo
“Almost 15,000 students could not leave Ukraine on three flights that were arranged, costing more than Rs 60,000 per head. Yesterday, I woke up with my phone buzzing and sirens across the city about how Russia had invaded Ukraine”, she said.
“Everyone outside was rushing to collect all the ration, groceries and cash they could. I don’t know who failed, but I do know we are in distress, scared and mentally unstable. Many who failed to collect rations are living inside bunkers without the same. And we have no option other than waiting for assistance,” she adds.
Another MBBS student in Ternopil, Ukraine, Opil Jain, who hails from Ujjain too, says in the video, “We are inside the bunkers from 11.30 pm (Ukraine time) last night. The mayor had issued orders to rush towards a safe place and switch off the lights to avoid attention of the air-bombers. We have been told that there can be a bombing in next 4-5 hours. We are really scared and need to be rescued. Indian government, please help us.”
Another student, Aabhas Parihar, who was denied boarding for a vaccination certificate glitch on Februrary 22 from Laviv, says, “We should have been in India right now. But we are in bunkers. I hope the Indian government works with everyone concerned to rescue us from here. We are in a situation where we cannot even leave our homes. Everything is closed. Our friends in Kyiv and Kharkiv are taking shelters at metro stations, under the ground. We do not know what should be do.”
He was accompanied by his friend Satyam Sabbarwal, who hails from Bareily, Uttar Pradesh.
While there are families celebrating their children’s return, there are families staying awake all night, fearing their safety, says a parent from Jabalpur, whose daughter is stuck in Ukraine.
