GUWAHATI:
Thirteen residents of Assam studying in Ukraine reached New Delhi on March 1. With this, the total number of Assamese students returning from the war-torn eastern European country has reached 28, a state government official confirmed.
“They were received by the officials of Assam Bhawan in New Delhi. The students will be staying there and their air travel from Delhi to Guwahati will be arranged accordingly,” an official of the state government here said, adding that more than 150 students are still stranded in Ukraine.
“The students have been evacuated with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and they arrived in Delhi at 2:15 pm. The rescue efforts of the stranded students of Assam, have been ongoing ever since the breakout of the Russia and Ukraine war,” he added. The majority of the 28 returnees are medical students, the official added.
The students are namely, Hirock Jyoti Deka, Anmol Shekhar Das, Anamika Baishya, Manjur Alam, Samadrita Hazarika, Manisha Wahid, Manisha Baishya, Alibhia Rajmedhi, Farmi Nashrin Sultana, Pratiksha Gogoi, Karina Borah, Udangshree Basumatary and Bastobika Das.
As per the list available with the Assam government, around 150 students from Assam are still stranded in Ukraine, with the Kamrup Metro having the highest 59 students, followed by Nalbari, Morigaon, and Darrang with nine students each.
Not just in war-torn Ukraine, some of the students are stranded in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania. They are temporarily staying in rescue shelters made for Indian citizens.
Meanwhile, an official statement released recently stated that the Union government is closely monitoring the development in Ukraine and leaving no stone unturned for the evacuation of Indian nationals from the eastern European country.
“Operation Ganga has been launched by the Indian government to bring back the nationals safely from Ukraine. Four senior ministers have been sent as Prime Minister’s special envoy to the neighbouring countries of Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to personally lead the evacuation efforts through these countries,” the release said.
It also stated that special team of officers from the MEA have been deployed in the said countries. “Helpline on 24X7 basis is functional at the Indian embassy in Kyiv and in the embassies of Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The safety of Indian nationals in Ukraine is of topmost priority to the Union government and all possible efforts will be made to ensure their safe return,” the release further added.