There was no help from Ukraine government or university, says Indian student

Indian students while travelling from Ternopil to the border. Pic/Dhurvi Ghori

After walking for 45 kilometers and waiting in queue for twelve hours to cross the Ukraine-Poland border, Surat-based Dhurvi Ghori is back in India safely.

Dhurvi is one among the many students who were evacuated from Ukraine by the Indian government after Russia has been invading Ukraine.

A third-year medical student from Ternopil National Medical University, Ghori, along with 500 Indian medical students from her university managed to travel 200 kms from Ternopil city to the nearest Poland border four days ago.

Group photo of Dhurvi along with her friends. Pic/Dhurvi Ghori

Speaking about her ordeal, and how she managed to survive, Ghori says, "I travelled by bus. But due to traffic on roads, along with other friends, of the 200 km distance to reach the border, I had to walk at least 45 kms to reach the Poland border. We had to manage a public transport bus on our own. Because of the huge crowd, even after reaching the Ukraine-Poland border, I had to wait for another 12 hours to cross the border."

While there is a different queue for girls and boys to cross the border, according to Ghori, for a girl to cross the border it takes minimum of 12 hours and more minimum of two days.

Indian students at Ternopil. Pic/Dhurvi Ghori

‘No help from Ukraine government'

Ghori pointed out that the Ukraine government was not helpful in safely evacuating them. "There was no help from the university or the Ukraine government. Even if I had cash, there was no food and water provided for two days. I was shivering in the temperature of -12° with very cold air."

Once she crossed the border, she finally managed to eat food after two days. "After I crossed the border, the Poland government and Indian government were very helpful. They provided food, water and also helped with transport and hotel facilities. After crossing the Ukraine border, we didn't face any problems. I took flight within one day after reaching Poland."

On Wednesday, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine had issued a second advisory, in all caps asking Indian nationals in Ukraine to leave Kharkiv by 6 pm.

"For their own safety and security, they must leave Kharkiv immediately, repeat immediately in the light of the deteriorating situation," stated the advisory by the embassy.

On Tuesday, Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagouda, a 21-year-old student from Karnataka, had died in shelling at Kharkhiv.