Aparna Banerji
Jalandhar, March 2
Ukrainians aren’t letting children board trains, say parents of the stranded students.
With the situation getting worse with each passing day, thousands of Indian students are still struggling to get aboard trains in Kharkiv and Lviv. Many students have even lost their belongings while jostling with locals. Taxis are charging exorbitant rates from penniless students.
Amid the struggle, Navi Aggarwal, a stranded student, made it to Romania on a train from Lviv, while her cousin Saphia got separated from her. With less money and no belongings, Saphia is by herself .
Meanwhile, with Russia escalating its war against Ukraine, Saphia’s father Ravi Bhushan Aggarwal is inconsolable.
Ravi says, “What do ministers really mean when they say get out of Kharkiv? Do they know what our kids are going through? People have to jostle, slap and punch each other to get on trains. Our kids are literally fighting for survival due to the inordinate delay of information.”
Pardeep Aggarwal, whose daughter Navi Aggarwal reached Romania this morning, said, “I am not sending her back. At present, she’s at a refugee camp in the biting cold. They have been given fruits, water and a bun. I am relieved that she has crossed the border.”
Another parent, Monica, mother of Jalandhar-based Jasmine Pruthi, who took a train to the Poland border yesterday afternoon, is awaiting a call from her daughter. She says, “I haven’t heard from her since yesterday. I hope she is fine.”
‘Thrashed by Ukrainian cops’
Abohar: Seeking help from the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday, student Aanchal Sharma tweeted that Indians at the Kharkiv railway station were not being allowed to board trains. She said Ukrainian cops were even assaulting them. She has tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in the tweet. OC
UKRAINE CRISIS: Taxis charging hefty rates from students
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