Ukraine crisis leaves parents of TN students worried

Chennai, Feb 24 (IANS) Parents of students at higher educational institutions in Ukraine, including medical colleges and engineering colleges from Tamil Nadu are worried over the missile and bomb attack carried out by Russia in Ukraine on Thursday.

R. Vadivelu (45), a businessman from Madurai, whose daughter Amritha Sivam is a student of medicine at Kiev university in Ukraine, is worried after the attack. While speaking to IANS he said, "I was frantically calling her to return when the Government of India had deployed flights and there was relative calm. However, she told the family that they were in the midst of exams and that they can't come now."

He also said that he had communicated to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Union External affairs minister S. Jaishankar to interfere and bring his daughter and other students, who are stuck in Ukraine.

Amudavally, C.K. (39), a homemaker at Saidapet in Chennai, whose son, Karthik is a second-year student of Naval architecture told IANS, "My son is at Kiev and the reports from the international news agencies that blasts have taken place near Kiev is worrisome. I don't know how he will come back and we are in touch with the Tamil Nadu government officials who told us that they are monitoring the situation through the Union external affairs ministry."

However, the Tamil Nadu government officials, including District collectors are in constant touch with the parents whose children are studying in Ukraine for various courses. The district collectors, according to the parents, have assured that the state government is in direct communication with the Union External affairs ministry and diplomatic moves are taking place to bring the children back to India.

There are an estimated 25,000 Indian students in Ukraine alone who are pursuing medicine, engineering, and science courses. More than 2,500 students from Tamil Nadu are estimated to be studying in Ukraine.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu government told IANS that the state government is constantly monitoring the situation and is in touch with the Union external affairs ministry. A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu government told IANS, "We are in touch with the Union external affairs ministry and the Indian embassy in Ukraine is giving proper inputs to the Delhi desk and we are being updated on the situation."

With the Russian troops moving into Ukraine and the possibility of a large-scale war in the offing, parents of students who are studying in Ukraine are running from pillar to post to bring their children back to the state.