Back from Ukraine, JK students worry about future

Story by  Ehsan Fazili | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Barkhaz Bhat and others boarding the IAF plane in Bucharest
Barkhaz Bhat and others boarding the IAF plane in Bucharest

 

Ehsan Fazili/Srinagar
 
Kashmiri students who have safely returned from the war zones of Ukraine have narrated their frightening experiences of living amidst incessant explosions and traversing long distances to reach tosafe zone. They are also worried about their future as the war in Ukraine seems to be not ending too soon.
 
In all 140 students from Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory had been enrolled in the Medical Colleges of Ukraine and have returned safely through the government arranged planes under Operation Ganga.
 
 “For the first five to six days we could not move out as heavy airstrikes and bombing were going on causing damage to many buildings and property,” said Saklain Ali Bhat, the 4th year MBBs student at Kharkiv University.
 
Bhat reached his home at Sallar in the Pahalgam area of South Kashmir on Sunday. “The explosions were deafening and we were scared to see our building vibrating because of their impact for at least 15 seconds,” he told Awaz-the Voice. The students took refuge in the basement of their apartment.
 

Barkhaiz and friends inside a cab while travelling to the Romanian border
 
The students including Saklain managed their food and water as they had stocked enough “food items and water to last a few weeks.”
After the Embassy in Kyiv and the government of India issued advisories, they started moving out of Kharkiv towards the Poland border, about 1700 km away. “We spent more than 13 hours in the open sky in minus 7 degrees Celsius, at a halting point, about 90 km from the border,” he revealed.
 
“We undertook the 19-hour journey from Kharkiv to the Poland border by train. After reaching the place, we were told that the representatives of the Indian embassy were stationed across the border and they would receive us,” Saklain said.
 
“After a day and night stay at the accommodation provided by the embassy, we were flown by an IAF plane to Ghaziabad near Delhi,” The J&K students were lodged in the J&K House in Delhi for their journey to Srinagar and Jammu.
 
“People on way to the borders were all helpful and guiding the foreigners,” he said.
 
“The situation was very bad and we had to plan our escape route during the first four days”, said Mohammad Barkhaiz  Bhat, the third-year MBBS student at the National Medical University, Kharkiv.
 

Barkhaiz and friends relaxing in the IAF plane 
 
“The first move was to walk down to the nearest railway station, about six km away, Barkhaiz who became the leader of the group of four Kashmiri students, said. Barkhaiz, from the Lolab area of North Kashmir, arrived home Friday.
 
“We had nothing to eat for almost 14 hours of train travel to Odessa station,” he said. He and others had to traverse another 85 km to reach the Moldova border. “We had to return from one (border) crossing point, though the cab driver was helpful, he took us to the next point where we could cross over at the Palance border,” he said.
 
Their travails did not end here as the students had to further travel to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 800 km away, to catch the flight home. They reached Delhi by the IAF and then flew home.
 
“We are worried about our future,” said Barkhaiz about his plans to complete his MBBS course. “We would go back only if the situation turns normal or the Government issues an advisory for us to return,” he said.
He said most of the students were reluctant to move out of Ukraine till the last minute hoping that the war would not happen.
According to Nasir Khuehami, National Spokesperson J&K Students Association has its units in 13 States and UTs, the students from J&K in Ukraine were traced and the list of 140 was shared with Raj Bhawan and MEA. “It was aimed at securing the safety and rescue of the students in the troubled area”, he told Awaz-the Voice.