India Appeals For Ceasefire In Sumy To Bring Out Stranded Students

New Delhi, Mar 5: India on Saturday appealed to Russia and Ukraine to allow a local ceasefire in Sumy to bring out hundreds of Indian students stranded there, even as a large group of students decided against going ahead with their threatened move towards Mariupol, and are back in the underground shelters.

“We are pressing Russia and Ukraine to allow a local ceasefire to allow the students to move out. It has not yet happened, but we will continue to press them,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a special briefing in the evening.

“If there is a pause in fighting in Sumy we will be able to bring them out. We ask the students in Sumy to be patient and continue to show the same fortitude that they have shown,” he added. He said a video of the students from Sumy State University threatening to move to Mariupol is from the morning, and the students have since gone back to their shelters. He also said their electricity and water, which had been cut off, has been restored. The students had declared their intention to move towards Mariupol, where Russia declared a partial ceasefire to allow civilians to move out.

“I understand their pain, that everyone is leaving and they are stuck there. I am happy they are in a safe place,” the spokesperson said. “They have gone back to their shelter, the video showed their worry and concern. We are trying to see how to get them out,” he added.

He said that Sumy, in the northeast border with Russia, is the main challenge for the government in its evacuation efforts. “We are exploring multiple options. The main challenge is the ongoing shelling, the violence, and the lack of transport (in Sumy),” he added.

He said that according to their estimates, there are 700 odd Indian students in Sumy, and they are concentrated in one or two places. “Once there is some degree of safety and security provided on ground, we can bring them out,” he added.

Earlier, in a tweet, the MEA spokesperson had urged the students of Sumy to stay inside shelters and avoid unnecessary risks. He also said that India has through multiple channels pressed Russia and Ukraine for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for the students. “We are deeply concerned about Indian students in Sumy, Ukraine. Have strongly pressed Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students. “Have advised our students to take safety precautions, stay inside shelters and avoid unnecessary risks. Ministry and our Embassies are in regular touch with the students,” the spokesperson posted.

The students of Sumy State University had put up a video saying they are going to start moving towards Mariupol, which they said is 600 km away. “We are afraid we have waited a lot and we are not going to wait anymore. We are risking our lives, we are moving towards the border, if anything happens to us, the Govt of India will be responsible, and the Indian Embassy. If anything happens to any one of us, Operation Ganga will be the biggest failure,” one of the students said.

Another said “This is going to be our last video, please pray for us.” They have since returned to their shelter, the MEA said.