TENKASI: The anxiety in their face is palpable. The parents of 10 medical students from the district studying in Kharkiv National Medical University in Ukraine are counting on minutes for the return of their beloved children from the war-torn country since Russia started invading it a week ago.
Ask Hameed Badusha of Kadayanallur, he would say his family members are unable to eat or sleep properly, for his son Sahul Hameed is stranded somewhere in Ukraine.
Hameed said they were not having any news about their son for days. "Finally, he sent a message on WhatsApp on the wee hours of Thursday saying he boarded a train to some bordering town of Ukraine. Sahul and a few other medicos from Tamil Nadu were shifted to a bunker on February 25 in Kharkiv," he said, adding in a video that he released on that day, Sahul had said he and his friends were unable to go back to their room.
In the video, Sahul is heard saying though he tried to go to their room he had to return to the bunker as the Russian forces attacked the area, that too, thrice. "We can only release videos from here. It is the Indian government that can bring us home. Please bring us to India safely," he appealed in the video. Sahul was allegedly not allowed to board a train from Kharkiv on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Shareef, father of a medico, Mohammed Azhadh, and Jwara, mother of Salva Afreen said their children reached Poland by travelling in train and bus.
"The Indian Embassy authorities in Poland arranged rooms and food for our children and are arranging a flight for them," they said.
"My son was accompanied by around 60 Indian students who are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. After their arrival near the Ukraine border by train, their Ukrainian classmate arranged a bus for them to travel further 10 kilometres to an area where the Indian authorities from Poland were waiting," said Shareef.
"The medicos had to struggle to avail food in Ukraine after the Russian invasion began. However, they managed to eat whatever they could get from the shops. They are sharing money among themselves for food and travelling expenses," he added.
A Tirunelveli-based student Deepasri's father, Manikandan, said his daughter reached Poland safely. Ram, a Kharkiv medico hailing from Ilanchi reached New Delhi via Hungary on Wednesday.