Operation Ganga: Four Union ministers will fly to Ukraine's neighboring nations to evacuation of Indian students
Operation Ganga: Four Union ministers will fly to Ukraine's neighboring nations to coordinate the evacuation of Indian students.
Ukraine crisis
Four Union ministers to fly to Ukraine's neighboring nations to co-ordinate evacuation
On 28 February, the Government of India announced that three Union Ministers, Minister of Oil and Gas Hardip Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Ridjiju and Minister of State of Civil Aviation Gen (Retd VK) will travel to Ukraine's neighboring countries to coordinate the evacuation of Indians from the war-torn region.
It should be noted that General (Retd) VK Singh coordinated the Mission Raahat evacuation program in 2015 to bring back the Indians from war-torn Yemen when he was with the Foreign Ministry. In Operation Sankat Mochan in 2016, General VK Singh personally accompanied 156 Indians evacuated by the Indian Air Force on a C-17 aircraft from war-torn South Sudan.
Ukrainian security services have reportedly made it difficult for Indian citizens, including students, to leave Ukraine. There are reports that Ukrainian agencies are not only using Indian citizens as a lever against India, putting them in a hostage-like situation, but also attacking and ill-treating them.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a summit on the crisis in Ukraine. During the meeting, it was decided that four union ministers would travel to the war-torn region to co-ordinate the evacuation mission and help the students return home safely.
India has expressed concerns about the safety of Indians in the UN Security Council
In a statement, India's PR / United Nations Ambassador to the United Nations TS Tirumurti expressed concern about the safety of Indian citizens in Ukraine, as reports emerged that they had been attacked and harassed by Ukrainian agencies. He said: "We remain deeply concerned about the safety and security of Indian citizens, including the large number of Indian students still trapped in Ukraine.
He added: "Our evacuation efforts have been adversely affected by the complex and precarious situation at border crossings. It is important to maintain a continuous and predictable movement of people. This is an urgent humanitarian need that needs to be addressed immediately. "
Mission Ganges: The evacuation program for the return of Indian students from Ukraine
Following Russia's declaration of military action against Ukraine on February 24, Indians stranded in the war-torn area were evacuated by the Indian government under the Mission Ganga program. The number of Indians stranded in Ukraine is reported to be between 16,000 and 20,000, with most media outlets reporting 18,000. However, the official government figure is currently 16,000. So far, 907 Indians have been evacuated. In particular, the Indian government has issued a number of councils urging Indians to leave Ukraine before declaring war.