On Saturday, as Russia's onslaught against Ukraine progressed, Indian students from Tamil Nadu issued a passionate plea for their immediate evacuation, claiming that they were running out of supplies and scared for their lives amid recurring noises of explosions.
A video showing Tamil Nadu students holed up in some kind of facility showed a lot of teenagers crammed with their possessions, pleading with the authorities to secure their safety and take all necessary efforts to ensure their return home as soon as possible.
A female student was heard stating in the video that there is no medical equipment, no safety precautions, no assurance for their life. They don't have food, water, or money, and we can't get cash from an ATM.
Another student asked immediate assistance from the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to ensure his or her safety in the troubled eastern European country. They have filled out at least 15 forms, but no response so far, implying that he was referring to evacuation procedures. They were hearing a lot of explosions.
As per the Tamil Nadu government, 5,000 students, the most of whom are pursuing professional courses, as well as immigrants from the state, are stuck in Ukraine, which has been under Russian military attack since Thursday.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has been urged by Chief Minister M K Stalin to arrange special Vande Bharat mission flights to remove trapped Tamil Nadu students. He has also stated that the state government will cover all of these persons' travel fees upon their return home.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Stalin met with some of the state's stuck students in Ukraine.
The chief minister addressed to three students through video conference from Erode, Tiruchirappally, and Tuticorin districts, inquiring about the situation there, according to an official announcement. He reassured the students that the state administration was working hard to'rescue' them, and urged them to stay safe and bold wherever they were staying.
