A petrified Trilochan Swain and his wife Bijaylaxmi are glued to the TV in their Rourkela home, flipping through news channels since Russia launched an invasion on Ukraine. They are worried over the safety of their 19-year-old daughter Shashwati Swain, a first year student of Kharkiv National Medical University stuck in the war-torn country.
Trilochan, an assistant manager in Rourkela Steel Plant, said Shashwati left for Ukraine on January 11 as back then, they had no idea that the situation would spiral into a military conflict. For the last one week, no flight ticket is available but their daughter told them that someone from the Indian embassy is in touch with the students.
“I urge the State government to ensure safe return of Odia students at the earliest as the situation there continues to worsen with every passing hour,” said a visibly-worried Trilochan. Talking to this paper on WhatsApp, Shashwati said she and her three roommates - Subhashree Sahoo, Ambika, Aakansha Mallick - stay at Oleksiivska Street in Kharkiv Oblast. Since the wee hours of Thursday, they have been hearing sounds of bombardment.
“Around 4.30 pm (Indian time), I had gone out to buy water bottles and food. On hearing sounds of explosion and firing, I hurried back to my room. We have been instructed not to go outside after 1 pm and stock water and food due to fear of disruption of gas supply in next few hours,” she said.
Bijaylaxmi said around 200 students are staying at hostels meant for Odia students at Kharkiv Oblast. Odisha government should request the Centre to expedite safe return of the students, she added.
News add to panic
Like Trilochan and Bijaylaxmi, hundreds of parents in Odisha are living in a state of panic following the Ukraine crisis. In Jajpur’s Rasulpur, Kabuli Charan Panda has lost his sleep worrying about his son Soumya Ranjan’s safety in Ukraine. Soumya too is an MBBS student in Kharkiv medical university and lives with two of his friends in a rented house in Kharkiv town. “Though my son says they are safe there, we are panicked with all the news on TV here,” said Kabuli.
Dr Samar Biswas of Ganjam’s Chamakhandi is a very worried man. Every breaking news on Russian military operation against Ukraine leaves him panicked over the safety of his 22-year-old son Suraj who is a student of medicine in the same university. “The TV footage of the devastation in Ukraine leaves my heart pounding in fear and anxiety. The cellphone is the main link with our son,” he said.
Talking to this paper from Kharkiv, Suraj said, “I had booked my return ticket to India on February 26 by paying Rs 60,000 against the normal price of Rs 25,000. But all the flights have been cancelled after the start of war on Thursday.”
The plight of Subrat Sahu is similar. The Berhampur resident’s daughter Akankhya is a student of Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy. After being asked by the Indian Embassy to leave Ukraine, 22-year-old Akankhya booked her return ticket last week but it was cancelled on Tuesday, said worried Subrat, a senior advocate.
“We are in constant touch with our daughter. She says there is nothing to worry as she stays in Denipro which is over 100 km from the war zone. But we are extremely concerned about her well-being,” said the father. In Dhenkanal’s Govindpur, Santosh Swain and his wife Sandhyarani are making frantic calls to their son Suprit, a first year MBBS student in a medical college at Vinista, around 250 km away from the Ukraine capital Kyiv.
“Right now, we can do nothing. It is up to the Indian government to bring back my son safely,” said Santosh. He will meet the Dhenkanal Collector on Friday to seek his help in bringing back the 21-year-old Suprit home. Sources said at least 15 students from Dhenkanal and Angul, who are studying in Ukraine, are stuck in the strife-torn country.
Appeal to Chief Minister
Family members of 25-year-old Aryaman Avishek of Cuttack’s Gandarpur are concerned over the development in Ukraine. Aryaman is pursuing MBBS in Kyiv. “Earlier, he had assured us that there was no immediate threat but today, he told us that the situation is worsening fast with Russia launching attacks. I request Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take steps for immediate evacuation of my son and others,” said Aryaman’s mother Arunjyoti Biswal.
Similar is the condition of Pandava Tripathy and Rina Mishra of Hatpada in Balangir’s Titilagarh. Their only son Sai Swarup Tripathy is stuck in Ukraine. Azim Ajju’s son Md Zaqi of Sambalpur too has been stranded in Kyiv. Zaqi took admission in Kharkiv National Medical University in December last year. “My son had booked a ticket and was supposed to arrive in India today. He reached Kyiv from Khakiv to board the plane to India this morning but has been stranded after Russia launched an offensive. Zaqi along with few of his friends have been sent back from the Kyiv airport in view of the emerging situation.”
Dambarudhar Mohanta of Karanjia in Mayurbhanj has not slept after his son Pankaj’s flight from Ukraine was cancelled two days back. Pankaj (25) is a student of Kharkiv National Medical University. “My son would have reached home by now but he is stuck there. I request the government to ensure safe return of Pankaj,” said Dambarudhar. Sources said at least 10 students of Jharsuguda district are also stuck in Ukraine.
Inputs from Prasanjeet Sarkar, Amulya Pati, Ashis Senapati, Sisir Panigrahy, BK Rout, Arabinda Panda, Sanjay Mishra, Mayank Bhusan Pani, Sukant Sahu and Raj Kumar Sharma