Russia says buses ready to take out Indians, India says not without ceasefire
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Mar, 2022 10:09 AM
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) With Russia state media reporting Russian authorities have arranged 130 buses for evacuation of Indian students from war-battered Sumy and Kharkiv in Ukraine, India on Friday said that pulling them out was not possible without a ceasefire as the gunfights and bombing are continuing in these areas.
Russian news agency TASS said that the Russia is ready to send 130 buses to evacuate stranded Indian students and other foreigners from war-torn Ukraine's Kharkiv and Sumy cities to its Belgorod Region, quoting top Russian military official Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev.
TASS had also said that this came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed the safe evacuation of Indians from the war-torn Ukraine.
Over 700 Indian students are stuck in Sumy and they are running out of basic necessities like food and water and they have been urging the Indian government to get them evacuated from there.
Meanwhile, the government sources said that the Indian officials have been deputed in Belgorod to make the necessary arrangements for the Indian nationals including students stuck in Sumy and Kharkiv and once the safe passage is provided or in case of ceasefire, they will be evacuated from these places.
India's prime concern is to evacuate its nationals from the conflict zones of Kharkiv and Sumy in eastern Ukraine, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau for his re-election but his returning to power is unlikely to augur well for the relations between the two countries.
The United States on Thursday sought from India a "roadmap" to political and economic normalcy in Kashmir and immediate release of all political detainees as it asked Pakistan to take "sustained and irreversible" steps against militants and terrorists in its territory.
India and Pakistan on Thursday signed an agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor even as the ticklish issue of a $20 service fee imposed by Islamabad remained unresolved.
Even Emperor Akbar had lifted the 'Jizya' tax on non-Muslims, showing respect for secular sentiment, he pointed out, urging Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to reconsider the $20 fee in light of the Sikh pilgrims' sentiments.
