Volunteers help in marching towards freedom for Indians in Ukraine

Venugopal, who is part of a volunteer group, said, “We have helped evacuate over 700 people from Dnipro city, including connecting them to other coordinators, getting them taxi driver contacts and keeping them updated with embassy advisories. All possible help has been given.” US-based non-profit organization Reaction Team Inc. told Mint.

Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, many volunteers like Venugopal have joined the Indian government’s efforts to provide aid to Indian citizens stranded in different parts of Ukraine.

The Art of Living Foundation has deployed around 100 volunteers to help evacuate people from various places such as Lviv, Poltava and Kyiv.

“Volunteers are going in cars and rescuing students from Sumi and Kharkiv. Access is very poor. Still they are doing their best. We have rescued around 1,000 students so far. They are also going to railway stations and talking to the authorities to allow Indian students to board the trains. All Art of Living Centers are accommodating people. Some are even kept in their homes by volunteers. Swami Jyotimaya, director of Art of Living Europe, said, “We are helping all people, but currently the focus is more on students.

Several higher education consultants, who helped students get admission in various medical colleges in Ukraine, have also joined the rescue efforts.

“One of the consultants went to Poltava and started distributing food. We are also able to arrange buses for the students,” said Ravi Kumar Kaul, a consultant from Delhi, who is coordinating with his students in Ukraine .

N. Emergency management practitioners like Vinod Chandra Menon are also in touch with the students, sharing information on how to survive in a war zone. Menon is a founding member of the National Disaster Management Authority.

“Students and parents had many questions and we answered them in the best way to survive in such a war zone. Should they take the risk and agree to pay money to those who promise to get them to safe areas and border check posts to cross into Poland, Slovakia, Romania or Hungary? What precautions should be taken when untrained civilians carry weapons in self-defense? When is it safe to travel? Who are the points of contact? You can’t take risks in a war zone. You are very weak and do not know the locality or language beyond the description of where to reach. He needed emotional and psychological support and guidance to boost their morale,” Menon said.

The Indian Embassy in Ukraine said on Sunday that the government has been successful in evacuating more than 10,000 students from Ukraine in the past two weeks. It said that except Kharkiv and Sumy, all Indians have been safely evacuated from Ukraine.