Death of a student
A medical student from Karnataka’s Haveri district, Naveen Gyanagoudar, became the first Indian casualty of the Ukraine-Russia war. He was killed in shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday after he stepped out of his bunker to buy groceries. The circumstances of his death sum up the desperation of Indian citizens stranded in the war-hit country: gasping for water and food, they are risking their lives in the grim battle for survival. It’s a tough call whether to stay on without supplies in the bunker or move out and take a chance against heavy odds. According to reports, students and workers from India mustered courage to march in groups towards the nearest railway station in Kharkiv on Wednesday.
India has ‘strongly and emphatically’ asked Ukraine and Russia to create ‘urgent safe passage’ for its nationals stuck in conflict zones. Reassuringly, Russia has announced that it will probe the student’s death and establish a ‘humanitarian corridor’ for hassle-free transit. The priority now is to prevent more casualties and take all Indians safely out of Ukraine at the earliest. Evacuating people after a war has broken out is a dangerous task; the bulk of the exercise should have been completed before the invasion began. Was India slow off the blocks? It does seem so. The Indian embassy had first issued an advisory on February 20, urging students and others to leave the country for the time being. In the subsequent two-three days, all-out efforts should have been made to quickly resolve the issues related to airfare and transit visa that forced thousands of Indians to stay back despite the fast-deteriorating situation.
Now, close coordination with the authorities in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries — Poland, Belarus, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova and Hungary — is a must to streamline and fast-track evacuation. The country needs swift and cohesive action to ensure that no Indian is left behind. The blame game and the credit war between the Union Government and the Opposition are only making matters worse. This is not the time to vie for brownie points. Every minute counts — so does every life.
