CHALAGERI(HAVERI DIST): The pain of Shekhar Gyana Goudar, father of Naveen -- who was killed in Russian shelling at Kharkiv in Ukraine on Tuesday, knew no bounds when he came to know that his son, with whom he spoke three times a day over WhatsApp, was no more. The shock was too much for Naveen’s mother Vijayalakshmi, who fainted.
As the news of Naveen’s death spread, friends and relatives started to gather at Shekhar Goudar’s house and consoled the family. Shekhar Goudar had only one question, “When are they getting my son’s body back? I want to see him...”
Naveen (21) was killed when he stepped out of the metro underground tunnel, where he and his friends were taking shelter, to get food from a supermarket on Tuesday morning. The entire family used to make video calls to Naveen every day and Tuesday was no exception. Shekhar Goudar spoke to Naveen just minutes before his death.
Soon after Naveen’s friend informed Shekhar that Naveen was dead, he told his relatives to get in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs officials, who confirmed the news later. He said, “My son had told me about the hardships faced by him and his friends. I used to infuse confidence in him, tell him about the developments in other parts of Ukraine and efforts being made by the government to evacuate Indians.”
Naveen’s uncle Ujjinappa Gyana Goudar said, “The government should have been serious and started evacuation in places where the war was intense. The government should have shifted Indians, especially students, from Kyiv and Kharkiv first. If it had been done, Naveen would be alive.”
Shekhar Goudar said, “If professional education was affordable for the poor in this country, why would I have sent my son to Ukraine and lost him today?” He said, “I had visited union minister Pralhad Joshi’s house to request him to get back my son. I could not meet him and returned empty-handed.”
Venkatesh, whose son Praveen too is studying at Kharkiv, said, “Naveen and Praveen were together at the bunker and they never came out. But on Tuesday, Naveen got up early and went to buy some food and exchange currency at the Beketova supermarket along with another friend Yeshwanth. Yeshwanth returned as it was too cold outside. At 7.58 am, Naveen called another friend Amit and asked him to transfer some money as he was short of cash. As Naveen didn’t return even after several minutes, they called him at 8.10 and a local resident, who picked up the call, told them that Naveen was dead and the body had been taken to the mortuary at a nearby hospital.”
Shekhar Goudar, who worked as an engineer in Abu Dhabi, returned to India some years ago and was working at South India Paper Mills Limited at Nanjangud. Naveen did his primary and higher primary at St Lawrence School in Ranebennur and later joined his father at Nanjangud. He completed his high school and pre-university in Mysuru. He appeared for NEET, but did not make the cutoff and decided to pursue medicine at Kharkiv National Medical University.
Shekhar Goudar retired from service two years ago and has started farming in Chalageri. Naveens’ brother Harsha, who is pursuing his PhD in agriculture at GKVK in Bengaluru, said Naveen had secured 97 per cent in second PU, but could not do well in NEET, which forced him to secure admission in Ukraine.
Naveen studied at Adarsha School in Debur village of Nanjangud taluk. He had visited his friends and the schools six months ago. He was the topper in SSLC for the school in 2015-16 and had secured 607 marks for 625. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Shekar Goudar and told him to be bold and to lead the family from the front.
Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who visited the family, said arrangements are being made to bring the body back in three to four days.