Ukraine evacuation: 1st batch of Bengal students flies back home

Kolkata/Asansol/Siliguri: The first batch of students from Bengal who had made the journey across the border from Ukraine to Romania and Hungary before being evacuated by the Indian government, reached home on Sunday.
Around a dozen students from Bengal, including those from Kolkata, Durgapur, Howrah, and Siliguri, were flown to Mumbai and Delhi on the first few evacuation flights between Saturday and Sunday.Some of them returned to Bengal on Sunday while the rest will travel on Monday. Several other students are still in queue to board the evacuation flights on Sunday night and Monday.
Zeenat Alam, a Durgapur resident and a third-year medical student at Ivano Frankivsk National Medical University, reached Delhi on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India at 6.05pm along with 10 other Bengali students. “Everything still feels surreal. Just a week ago, everything was fine and I was preparing for my national exams due in four months. But then here I am, relieved to be back home after making the most risky journey of my life. I will never forget the last four days I had spent in a bombing bunker, then travelling in a bus with its lights off and then walking 10km in freezing cold to cross the border before staying in a camp overnight and then finally taking the flight home,” said Alam.
At the international terminal in Delhi, young evacuees — mostly students — were found carrying hurriedly packed bags and heavy winter jackets, walking towards the immigration with sleepy eyes after the seven-hour air travel.
Neha Khan, another student from Durgapur who travelled on the same flight, said she was tired after the hectic four days and was in need of rest and sleep.
“The Bengal government representatives received us and are helping us book tickets home. But though I have made the journey, I am worried about some of my friends who are still stuck there and are scheduled to take the next evacuation flight from Romania. I will wait for them till Monday before heading home,” said Khan, adding that a part of her luggage was left behind with a classmate at the Romania border and she was in touch with him.
While evacuating the Indians at the Romania, Poland and Hungary borders, the government revised the Covid protocols like it did for those returning from Afghanistan last year. Those unable to produce a negative RT-PCR report or a fully vaccinated certificate were allowed to travel to India. They were tested on arrival at Delhi and Mumbai before being allowed to head home.
Among those who returned to Bengal on Sunday was Yuvraj Mishra, a second-year medical student at Uzhhorod National Medical University, who reached Delhi on Sunday morning and took a flight to Bagdogra to go home to Naxalbari. “I want to thank the state and the Central governments for their support. The embassy officials helped me. There was not much violence or bombing at the city where I stayed, but many friends in other cities are in danger and are spending days in Metro stations, parking lots and bunkers with limited food and water. My university has 500 students waiting to be rescued,” he said. Mishra was received by Siliguri mayor Goutam Deb at Bagdogra airport.
Mishra said he spent two days in a bunker before his university facilitated a safe passage to the Hungary border with the help of the Indian embassy. “The embassy officials helped us and the evacuation process was smooth considering the situation. Upon crossing the border, the Indian embassy took us to Budapest airport and we boarded the Air India flight that landed in Delhi at 9.30am,” he said.