Muristek
New Delhi, March 6
Students from India and several other nations have experienced "disturbing" racism while attempting to flee war-hit Ukraine, the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) has said.
Referring to the many videos in which coloured students from the Indian subcontinent and Africa were pushed away from trains and buses in Kyiv and Kharkiv, the NMF said this once again illustrated a common global phenomenon in which the "sufferings of white people in conflict situations habitually receive more attention and care".
The NMF's observations came at a time when Hardeep Puri and VK Singh, Ministers in charge of evacuation, said Operation Ganga was in its closing stages. Another Minister Kiren Rijiju is on his way back from Slovakia.
But 1,700 Indian and African students remained trapped in Sumy amidst intensified shelling and breakdown of water supplies.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine said a team had been stationed in Poltava city to coordinate the safe passage of 700 Indian students in Sumy to western borders and advised them to be ready to leave at short notice.
The MEA said the Red Cross had managed to reach some of the civilians in the besieged city from where Indian students had earlier posted videos that showed them gathering snow to drink. A local Ukrainian newspaper said the government was providing free food and dry rations to foreign students, who were safe.
In a further attempt at peacemaking, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett went to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz after interacting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. British PM Boris Johnson also outlined a six-point plan to resolve the crisis through renewed international efforts. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also urged Putin to declare a ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement.
But the US was in talks with Poland on sending its used MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine and in turn receiving American warplanes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Moldavia, which has decided to accelerate its membership of the European Union.
Were beaten up by locals, could not board any train
On March 2, we couldn't board any train as Ukranians were given preference. Locals would beat us up and shoot into the air to scare us away. — Jashneen Kaur, student from Jalandhar
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a "desperate" plea to US lawmakers to help get more fighter jets for his military and cut off Russian oil imports.
8 flights to bring back 1,500 Indians
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said eight flights would bring back over 1,500 Indians from war-torn Ukraine's neighbouring countries on Monday.