CHALAGERI (HAVERI DT)/HUBBALLI/BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said they have received a photograph of Naveen Gyana Goudar’s body and it will be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which is making efforts to bring the mortal remains back to India at the earliest.
Naveen was killed in shelling by Russian forces in Kharkiv in Ukraine on Tuesday. Bommai said it is the government’s priority to bring Naveen’s body back to his village Chalageri in Haveri district.
However, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, who visited Naveen’s family at Chalageri, said it is difficult to bring the body back and to evacuate stranded Indians from Ukraine as the situation in Kharkiv, where the medical student was killed, and Kyiv, the capital city, is bad because of heightened aggression by Russia.
‘Temporary ceasefire will help rescue effort’
Only a temporary or permanent ceasefire can help in evacuating stranded Indians and bringing back Naveen’s body, Pralhad Joshi added. After consoling the grieving family, he said, “Immediately after coming to know of Naveen’s death, I have been in touch with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
He has already spoken to his officials and also diplomats in Russia and Ukraine about the evacuation of stranded Indians and also airlifting of Naveen’s body.” Joshi said, “As of now, the condition in the war zone is not favourable and only a temporary ceasefire can help us. Even a respite of 8-15 hours is sufficient for us to bail out Indians and also bring Naveen’s body.
We are hoping for the best. This is an extraordinary situation and we are requesting both the Russian and Ukrainian governments to provide a safe passage to shift Indians and also the mortal remains of Naveen.” He said that as per records, around 8,000 students are still stranded in Ukraine. Under ‘Operation Ganga’, a large number of Indians were airlifted on Wednesday and similar exercises will continue till the last Indian is brought back to the country.
Till now, around 12,000 students have returned, he added. Naveen’s parents, Shekhar Gyana Goudar and Vijayalakshmi, his brother Harsha, family members and villagers of Chalageri requested Joshi, government officials and other political leaders, who visited them, to help them bring Naveen’s body back. Haveri DC Sanjay Shettennavar said 1o students from the district are still in Ukraine.