Suresh Unnithan

Basheer is having a sigh of relief for he could escape from the ‘war theater’ in Ukraine with little harm. He is now safe in a Military camp in Moldova, the South-West neighbor of Ukraine. Basheer, a final year medical student of the Odessa National Medical University, along with his college mates, could crossover to Moldova on Sunday evening. “It’s dreadful to be amidst war. Fighter jets shooting over our heads, defining sounds of bomb explosions, soldiers firing at random from close range. We had little hope left. But now we are relieved, we safe here in Moldova, waiting for flying back to native Kerala.”

In a video shot from the Military camp in Moldova where Basheer and friends are lodged the medical student shares with PNINews the nightmarish experience they had in Odessa. They had knocked all possible doors seeking help to find an escape route from the war theater but they got no proper response “even from the India Mission officials.” 

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledges safe evacuation of Indians from the war-torn Ukraine is Top Priority of his Government. But it seems the Indian Mission is yet to respond with full earnest to the emergency call.  The Indian students stranded in Ukraine reaching on phone in distress to the Mission officials either get an evasive response or many times no answer,” said a student who could cross over  to Moldova from  the war inflicted Odessa.

 According to the student stranded in Odessa, many have “harrowing experience” with the Mission while seeking directions to get out Ukraine.  Amitha Prasad, another student of the same medical university elaborates how “casually” Indian Embassy officials responded to the queries from students relating a safe passage out Ukraine.

“We have called up Indian Embassy officials seeking help to cross over to Moldova, the immediate neighbor of Ukraine.  Moldova border is less than 50 kms from Odessa and we repeatedly pleaded the Indian Mission to guide and assist us in reaching Moldova, the immediate safe destination. I am sharing the recorded conversation between my classmate and the Embassy official and the chat will explain the rest,” Baheer told this correspondent on phone from the Moldova shelter camp.

The voice clipping of Alina a Medical student of the Odessa University explains the “indifference” from Indian Embassy officials.  Alina was heard requesting to the officials on the other end to help the students to cross over to a safe destination from the war-inflicted Ukraine. She was heard explain their dreadful situation to the Indian Embassy official and the response was docile and disheartening to the students in distress. “Sir, we want to get out of here.  We are in danger. No food or water, we are drinking public tap water. We had no food for from yesterday and not able to go out (due to shelling).”  After listening to the ordeal of the trapped students, instead of pacifying the official was suggesting them to “travel to the designated Romanian border which is 12 hours travel from Odessa.”  Why was he suggesting this distant destination instead of Moldova which is less than 50 kms south-west of Odessa?

Interestingly another Hindi speaking official in the Indian Embassy was heard suggesting Alina to “book a cab and travel to the distant Romanian boarder”. When she asked for the identity of the official he retorted in haste “why you are asking my name…..I am a councilor official.” She wanted to know the name of the official to update “the dean of the university and tell him to who I talked to.” However, the “dutiful” official kept his identity a “secret” to the hapless student frantically seeking help to escape from Odessa, a city in siege.

“Thank god finally we are in Moldova. Our life is safe and feeling relieved,” says Amitha with a breather.

Amitha said their transportation and stay were stay in Moldova was organized by students from Indian studying in that country.   She confirmed “we are now staying in hostel here in the Moldova capital, Thanks to the students who arranged everything for us and not the Indian Embassy.”