An airline boarding pass had never before been so crucial for L. Priyanka. Having been evacuated from war-hit Ukraine, the 21-year-old medico safely made it to her home in Hyderabad on Sunday morning. But the ordeal before her flight from Otopeni, Romania, is one that she will never forget. Her boarding pass, she says, is a reminder of the harrowing time she lived through.
A sixth-year MBBS student at the Bukovinian State Medical University in Chernivtsi, which is located in the western part of Ukraine, Priyanka suddenly found herself in a war zone as Russia launched full-scale military operations in that country on February 24.
Though war had not touched her region, she and other students could not help but imagine the dreadful possibility. The students were running low on food, water and cash. “Our cards did not work. The prices of groceries doubled. People started hoarding rations. We used up all the cash we had and exchanged our dollars,” recalls Priyanka.
Before the situation could worsen, the Indian Embassy evacuated 400 students from the university and shifted them to Romania. They had to wait at the Romania border for over six hours along with 3,000-odd people, including Ukrainians, says Priyanka. It was there that she heard defeaning gunshots for the first time in her life. “Some people carrying arms shot in the air to control the crowd. Everyone was petrified,” she adds even as she clutches her boarding pass. Her uncles, aunts, cousins and relatives, who gathered at her parents’ house to meet her, listen with rapt attention.
Internet connection at the border was intermittent. Despite the anxiety-filled moments, Priyanka could heave a sigh of relief after stepping into Romania. Some of the students were given mobile SIM cards by the Embassy in Romania, and they immediately made use of it to keep their respective family members updated about their safety. A few hours later, they were taken to the airport near Bucharest where they managed to catch a flight.
She was among the 15 students from Telangana who landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here and were received by Principal Secretary of General Administration Department Vikas Raj, Rajendranagar MLA T. Prakash Goud and Shamshabad DCP R. Jagadishwar Reddy. Of them, 13 are from Hyderabad, and one each from Wanaparthy and Jagtial districts.
Priyanka finally reached her parents’ home in Hyderabad around 9 a.m. on Sunday. “All the transportation was free of cost. The Indian Embassy, Central government and the State government took care of it,” says Priyanka as she carefully slides her boarding pass into a file.
Her mother, L. Manjula, a teacher, says, “We have had sleepless nights since the war broke out and our daughter was stranded there. We were glued to the TV all the time.” Their relatives nod in agreement and continue to discuss updates of the war.
Her father L. Sadarlal, an officer with LIC, says their anxiety came a few notches down after speaking to Priyanka over phone on Saturday evening. “She informed us that they have crossed the border,” he recalls.
Meanwhile, Telangana IT and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao has said that the Telangana government is receiving multiple requests from parents and students for help. “Will ensure all of them are attended to ASAP,” he tweeted.
Twenty-three students from Telangana reached Delhi on Sunday morning after being evacuated from Ukraine. Officials said that the State government has made arrangements for their travel to Hyderabad. A few more students from the State who have been evacuated were expected to reach Hyderabad by Sunday night.
