After the phone conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin, Russia claims, the Indian government said, no information about the students being held hostage.
Is the Ukrainian army using Indian students as human shields in the ongoing war with Russia? Has he taken Indian students hostage with this intention? Is this the real reason why Ukrainian guards stopped Indian students from crossing the border? These questions are arising due to the statement of Russia, which it released last night detailing the phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin. However, there is no mention of such a situation in the statement issued by the Government of India after this conversation. Rather, now the Government of India has given a statement on its behalf, refuting this claim of Russia. But the contradictory statements of both the countries have increased the concern of the families concerned for the safety of the children trapped in the war zone.
Russia’s statement after Modi-Putin talks
In fact, after Putin’s phone talks with PM Modi, a statement issued by Russia said, “President Putin told that all necessary instructions will be given to safely evacuate the Indians trapped in the war zone and send them back home.” have gone. The Russian army is doing everything possible for this. Efforts are being made to take a group of Indian students trapped in Kharkiv to Russia as soon as possible by making a safe corridor. After reaching Russia, we are ready to send them home on our own or by Indian planes. But we are getting the latest information that these Indian students have been taken hostage by the Ukrainian army and are using them as human shields. The Ukrainian army is trying its best to stop them from going to Russian territory. The Ukrainian authorities are fully responsible for this situation.”
The Russian Defense Ministry also told the press in Moscow that Ukrainian authorities had forcibly detained a large group of Indian students in Kharkiv. Whereas these students want to leave the area of Ukraine and go to Belgorod (Russia). In fact, he has been taken hostage and is being asked to go towards the Ukraine-Poland border. They are being asked to go to such areas where fighting is taking place.”
Not aware of Indian students being held hostage: Government of India
On Thursday, the Indian government has given a statement rejecting these claims of Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India says that they are in touch with all Indian citizens and they have not received any information that they have been taken hostage. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We have not received any news of any Indian student being held hostage. We have requested the Ukrainian authorities to arrange special trains so that Indian students stranded in Kharkiv and surrounding areas can be taken to the western parts of Ukraine. ,
Russia’s attempt to evade responsibility or Ukraine’s ulterior motives?
It is also being speculated that Russia may have said that the Indian students are being held hostage, because it wants to absolve itself of the responsibility of the situation arising out of the war. But in several videos that have surfaced through Indian media and social media, Indian students stranded in Ukraine have alleged that they are not being allowed to board the train and are also being prevented from crossing the border by guards. It seems from these videos that the attitude of the Ukrainian army and officials towards Indian students is not good.
Meanwhile, about four thousand Indians are feared to be trapped in the eastern and north-eastern areas of Ukraine. Most of them are students. These areas are very close to the Russian border. Russia’s newly-appointed Ambassador to India Denis Alipov has already said that his country is working on building safe corridors for the evacuation of Indian nationals from Kharkiv, Sumi and surrounding areas. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine had said in an advisory issued yesterday that all Indians trapped in Kharkiv should be evacuated immediately. From there they were asked to move towards Pesochyn, Babaye and Bezlyudovka. These areas are very close to the Russian border.