Tag Archives: Indian Muslim Students in Ukraine

Uncertainty looms over future of Ukraine returnees

Amazing Feats, Education, Karnataka (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, Ukraine Updates, Students (Feb. 2022), World Opinion, , , , , ,

KARNATAKA :

Students are hoping for rehabilitation in India or admission in similar universities in European countries like Poland as a special case for Indian students

Uncertainty looms large over the fate of students who safely returned to India from Ukraine as some of them feel that continuing medical education in the war-ravaged country would be tougher, challenging and unreliable and parents may refuse to send them back in the present circumstances.

In Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajnagar, several students have returned safely and a few more are on their way. What has been bothering the returnees is “what next”.

Though discussions are ongoing in various circles on whether to permit the affected students to continue their education in Indian colleges, a clear picture on their future may emerge once all safely return to the country with the Centre’s ‘Operation Ganga’ in the final stages of evacuation in Ukraine.

“I’m worried about my future. I don’t know whether my parents will send me back to Ukraine if the situation returns to normal though it appears to be highly uncertain with Russian militia advancing. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have put in three years and I was about to be promoted to fourth year. I am hopeful something will emerge as India will work out a solution in students’ interests,” said Likith, who returned from Kharkiv.

Like Likith, his friends and classmates in Kodagu and Mysuru are hoping that the medical colleges or universities in Europe may also consider admitting the affected students from Ukraine since the education system is almost similar in many European countries. In solidarity with Ukraine, the European institutions, as a special case, may admit the students, after fulfilling the formalities. Poland, Hungary and Slovakia and other countries may consider admission, they hope.

“I and my friends and I have decided to wait and watch the developments. We cannot say what happens in the days ahead. We are hoping that our interests will be protected,” said Likith, a student of Kharkiv National Medical University, who spent a harrowing time with eight others in a bunker in Kharkiv after the Russian invasion.

Sharukh M.Y., who returned to his hometown in Virajpet taluk in Kodagu on Sunday, is hoping that the government of India will come up with a plan to address the returnees’ plight.

“I am hoping that my university in Ukraine will start online classes at the earliest. It has told us it will update us by March 15. With the war on, everything appears uncertain. I’m in the sixth semester. I would have been promoted to fourth year but the crisis forced us to vacate. I am open to all options,” said Shah Rukh, who is a student of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Kharkiv.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National >Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Myusru – March 07th, 2022

There was no help whatsoever from Indian authorities, say sisters studying in Ukraine, now back home

Amazing Feats, Education, NRI's / PIO's, Ukraine Updates, Students (Feb. 2022), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , ,

Dubai, UAE / DELHI / UKRAINE :

Zenab and Kulsoom, residents of Old Delhi, say they felt completely helpless while returning from Ukraine as they were neither able to speak Ukrainian language nor got any help from Indian authorities.

Zenab and Kusoom
Zeba and Kulsoom

“We could see three shells falling when we were walking towards the railway station. It was for the first time that we saw death so near,” recollects Zenab, who recently returned from Ukraine’s Kharkiv along with her sister Kulsoom.

These young girls, who saw death from up and close, say they felt completely helpless while returning from Ukraine as they were neither able to speak the Ukrainian language nor got any help from Indian authorities.

The two sisters, residents of Old Delhi, completed their primary education in Dubai before going to pursue further studies in Ukraine. The two young girls stayed together at same hostel and for that they had to fight with the university authorities, but their struggle turned out to be a blessing in disguise as during war they stayed together which was a big relief for both of them.

“I was so tense that they should remain together; even while returning I asked them to hold their hands tightly,” says their mother, Ghazala Salim.

Zenab and Kusoom, who were pursuing MBBS and MBA courses and never witnessed even a street fight during their life, had a horrifying experience of witnessing a full-fledged war. They, along with their friends, stayed in the bunker of a metro station and had to live on one meal a day as there was shortage of both food and money.

“We were allowed to use the washroom only once in 24 hours and we were not allowed to send videos or talk with our parents on mobile as per instructions, as Ukrainian authorities feared that the videos could be used for propaganda by the enemy,” recalls Kulsoom.

They witnessed tanks standing facing their hostel and even saw that certain signs were put on buildings which were to be targeted. The Russian army also hoisted their national flag atop the university.

“Our group finally decided to move out and one of our friends asked everyone to carry only water and food with very few clothes,” says Zenab.

They walked for two hours before reaching the railway station to catch a train for Lviv. Once they reached there, the group faced several problems. “Train authorities were only allowing local people first and after that girls were given permission whereas non locals boys were not allowed to board the train and were even roughed up. Traveling in the train was very suffocating too as it was very crowded,” they recalled.

On way to Lviv, they passed through Ukrainian capital Kyiv where heavy shelling was taking place. When the group reached Lviv, their parents advised them to move towards Romania instead of Poland and Hungary.

“The Romanian people were very nice and cooperative,” recalls Zenab.

Both the sisters said that from Kharkiew to Romania they did not receive any help from Indian authorities except they came to tell us that we have to check in from this point.

These sisters, who went to Kharkiv in December last year, miss studying in the university and want to return as soon as the situation returns to normal.

They said that there was huge a language problem, but otherwise also local people didn’t communicate with foreigners. They used Google Translate for their daily needs but in three months, they grew fond of their institution. “The girls feel terrible watching the news of bombardment in Ukraine, and miss their university a lot,” says Ghazal, the mother of the two girls.

Mohd. Salim, the father of the two sisters, is an engineer and was working in Dubai before he returned to Delhi just after Covid two years back. He is now running an eatery in Delhi and also has a distributorship of cosmetics. “The education is not cheap in these universities, but the education is very good,” he says.

The parents underwent an extremely stressful time for ten days but feel relieved now that their daughters have returned home safely.

“A WhatsApp group of parents was our only source of information from Ukraine as our daughters were so terrified that they just followed the instructions and only messaged that they are safe and not to worry,” says Ghazala.

source: http://www.nationalherald.com / National Herald / Home> India / by S Khurram Raza / March 08th, 2022

Karnataka student stands for 17 hours in train to reach Poland

Amazing Feats, Education, Karnataka (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, Ukraine Updates, Students (Feb. 2022), , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA / UKRAINE :

Amid severe cold, we travelled in a train standing for almost 17 hours to the Poland border and crossed over on foot, said Pavan Kumar from Moodbidri who returned from Ukraine on March 4.

Indian students stranded in Ukraine. (Photo | PTI)

Mangaluru :

Sheikh Mohammad Thaha, a medical student from Mangaluru, is yet to get out of war-hit Ukraine. Thaha had been staying in a shelter just 10 km away from Kharkiv. Thaha said he spent more than a week in a bunker.

“We are near Poltava, which is 130 km away from Kharkiv, right now and the Indian embassy is expected to send buses to transport the remaining students. We could hear heavy shelling in Kharkiv as it is just 10 km away from the place we were staying.”

Meanwhile, Pavan Kumar from Moodbidri returned from Ukraine on Friday. Pavan said , “We did not have enough food and basic facilities. Amid severe cold, we travelled in a train standing for almost 17 hours to the Poland border and crossed over on foot. We had our final examination on May 22, and, since we did not know the severity of the war, we could not move out on time. There are still over 600 students stranded in Ukraine,” he said. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Divya Cutinho / Express News Service / March 06th, 2022