Open House: Do you think the govt should have been more proactive in evacuating students from Ukraine?

Govt taking every possible step

For better prospects, the students go to study abroad. Despite ordeals and heavy fees, the exodus of students continues to the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and some EU countries for professional and skilled courses. Likewise, many aspirants of medical profession, owing to stiff competition and exorbitant fees in our country, prefer to go to Ukraine and other Russian universities every year where admission expanses and competition is quite moderate and their medical degrees are recognised by IMA. The invasion has posed a grave threat to the lives of people living there, including the students studying in various colleges/ universities. While most of the other countries proactively warned their nationals to leave Ukraine, our diplomatic channels somehow got delayed in issuing the advisories and by that time the country went under seize. Had the government dealt with the situation promptly, undue panic and ordeals could have been avoided. Currently our students, of which many are from Punjab are Haryana region, are stranded in different cities and their evacuation from war torn areas is slow due to fierce fighting all around the Ukraine borders. In the ultimate, of course solution lies in to expedite worldwide dialogue to end the conflict and restore peace among the warring nations. Right now, the task is gigantic but all concerns are to evacuate the kids. With this mission, the government is ensuring every possible action has launched Operation Ganga to safely bring back all our nationals.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Make medical edu affordable here

Given the circumstances and developments that were taking place since quite a long time, the government should have been more concerned and proactive on the fate of Indian students numbering about 20,000 in Ukraine. Merely issuing advisories at some intervals were not sufficient as the migrant students and other citizens were not in position to assess the ground challenges and perceived threats in consonance with growing hostilities and conflict of interests between Russia-Ukraine and NATO. Our government, especially the MEA erred in anticipating the situation with the result that when war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, evacuating such a large number of students safely and speedily under unfavorable circumstances became a challenging task. Our government should have prepared a contingency plan well in advance while keeping in effective touch with all stake holders for implementing the same in emergency. However, the government has lately woken up to seriousness of the situation with launching ‘Operation Ganga’, aimed at evacuating the students stranded at various locations. As on today, only 1700 students could be evacuated but it is reported that 26 flights are planned to airlift most of the students over next three days. While it is hoped that all Indian students will be brought back home safely without irretrievable delay. Most urgently, our government must also review present infrastructure relating to medical education in the country to make it wider and affordable for our students.

JAGDISH CHANDER

Govt took too long to realise ramifications

Since the Russian military onslaught against Ukraine, Indian students stuck there are facing traumatic hardships. With scant supply of groceries and other essentials, they sleep on the floors of hostel basements, underground railway stations and bunkers for protection from the heavy Russian bombardment. Anxious and scared, many of them are making frantic efforts to reach borders of neighbouring countries in the hope of returning home. Like the US and UK, the Indian government’s top most priority should have been the safety of Indian nationals and their evacuation. But lack of timely help and cooperation from either the Ukraine government or the Indian Embassy has raised many eyebrows. It is a worrisome situation for the parents. Running from pillar to post, they are annoyed with the poor performance of the Indian government. Time and again, they have desperately asked the authorities to expedite diplomatic measures for their safe repatriation. Despite the developing situation over the past few weeks, the government awoke late to make proper arrangements for their safe return. When the Indian Embassy appealed to students to leave Ukraine temporarily, high prices of air tickets and the sudden closure of airports and airspace became the impediments. Now, the MEA has launched a 20-hour helpline to assist Indian students caught up in the ongoing conflict and started airlifting them free of cost and has also dispatched a team of four Union Minsters to look after the evacuation process. But ruefully, it has been too late.

Simran & Tajpreet S Kang

Matter of serious national concern

The safety and security of thousands of Indian students stranded in the war–hit Ukraine is a matter of serious national concern. Their pitiable plight has exposed the Indian government’s hypocrisy and diplomatic failure. But for issuing advisories from time to time, it did not take the needy proactive action. This lackadaisical and indifferent attitude has compounded the woes of their distressed and panic-stricken parents back home. Post their frantic appeals, the government initiated measures for their free evacuation via surrounding Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. The refusal of Ukraine college authorities for online classes, lack of support from the Ukraine government, costly air tickets and the uncertainty, delayed response and tardy evacuation plan of the Indian establishment and its eventual failure to intensify rescue operation and ensure safe passage, as during the Afghanistan crisis, are squarely blamed for their Catch-22 situation. There are lessons galore to be learnt. Indian students undertake higher studies abroad because of lower fee structure and easy admission criteria. The government should regulate the fee structure of private medical colleges and ensure that they provide affordable quality education.

DS Kang

Govt is leaving no stone unturned

No one would have thought that the conditions in Ukraine will become miserable with heavy bombing. As in Ukraine there are number of medical universities where the students throughout the globe go for medical education. Similarly, a number of students had gone in Ukraine for education. They never imagined of such a panic situation arising from the Russia- Ukraine War. The Indian government is taking the positive, effective measures to bring back the students safe from Ukraine. Many ministers have gone to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to ensure safe passage of the students from Ukraine. More flights have been put in for operation to bring back the students safe and sound. Panic among the parents of the students stranded in Ukraine is a reality because nobody had expected such a tedious problems arise in the post War period. Heavy shelling, Bombing, missile attacks by Russia have really brought the life out of gear in various towns of Ukraine. The most important thing is of safe passage of the Indian students by Russian Forces. There may be some discrepancies but the government is leaving no stone unturned for the safe and smooth passage of the Indian students to bring them back to India.

RAJAT KUMAR MOHINDRU

Leaders don’t care about medical edu

It’s very unfortunate that the Indian students in Ukraine are in dire straits and the parents of children are wailing and crying asking the government to bring their children back home. Many students going to the borders of Hungry and Poland are turned back. What is the use of the PM holding the meetings thrice a day sending four ministers to the neighbouring countries of Ukraine? I am reminded of the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1991 when IK Gujral was the PM. About 2 lakh Indians were brought back to India on Air-India planes safely. This government doesn’t care about the safety of its citizens. It is only interested in vote-bank politics and is power hungry. The wailing and crying of the children and their parents is heart-rending. The government should expand medical education in India itself and make it affordable. The leaders of all political parties are minting money with both hands but don’t care about medical education. With India having population of more than a billion why don’t they build more medical colleges so that the students don’t have to go abroad for medical education?

JS Wadhwa

Ensuring safe return need of the hour

The state and union governments should work together and bring the stranded students back from strife-torn Ukraine. As usual, our leaders were in deep slumber and could not fathom the impending threats looming on the Ukrainian heads. Consequently, the innocent students have to bear the brunt. Undoubtedly, the mounting pressing from the parents’ side have compelled the PM to send his ministers to Ukraine and its bordering nations to evacuate the Indian pupils safely and soundly. Just a few days back the din of elections was touching the skies. But the day elections got over, almost all the political aspirants preferred to unite with their families and spend their time with leisure. Only a handful of them who are really concerned have come out to lend full support for the students’ cause. All the political leaders must shun their interpersonal differences and work in concerted manner to help the students who are going through hellish times in the aftermath of invasion and deadly military assaults by Russia. Obviously, our ruling dispensation could have been more visionary and proactive in unearthing behind the scene prelude and unfolding fire and fury. It is the prime duty of our government to sort out the problems faced by our students by bringing them back at the earliest. Timely action is need of the hour.

SIMRANJEET SINGH SAINI

Advisories from govt arrived late

It is surprising how a powerful nation like India failed to read the writing on the wall well before time. The most appropriate and opportune time to bring back all our students was when countries like the US and UK issued advisory for its citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. Why did India not issue a similar advisory and bring back our people well before the eruption of war? Rather, the airlines increased their fare manifold, which most students could not afford.

Saahil HANS

QUESTION

With the Punjab Assembly election results going to be announced on March 10, what expectations do you have from the new govt?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (March 10)

#indians in ukraine