Ukraine returnees seek Centre's help for continuing studies

kolkata/baurghat: Two medical students, who had returned to their hometown in South Dinajpur from Ukraine, wrote to the Centre seeking its intervention in order to continue their medical studies. Undergraduate medical students, who have returned to their native places in Bengal, are anxious about their future.

Balurghat's Jayati Roy and Banshihari's Ishita Rahman, who were stuck in Ukraine amid war, finally returned to their native places in this district on Sunday night. Jayati Roy said: "My career is in jeopardy. We were forced to leave universities amid the crisis. We will not be able to complete courses unless the Centre intervenes. We want to go back to Ukraine once the war ends." Ishita said: "We don't know when things will normalise. At present, the university is closed due to war."

Shahrukh Sultan Ahmed, who could have obtained an undergraduate medical degree in two months from now, had to return home in Birbhum from war-hit Ukraine empty-handed. Soon after his arrival in his native land, Ahmed expressed his concern whether he would ever be able to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor.

"I have finally arrived in my house but my career is in jeopardy. It is a nerve wracking experience to return when my undergraduate medical course finished in just two months. At this point of time, we don't know whether we will be able to go back to Ukraine and complete my course," said Ahmed.

He went to Ukraine for studies in 2016. He is a final year medical student from Kyiv Medical University. Ahmed had a pet in Ukraine. He has managed to bring his pet along with him. An airline company refused to take his pet and finally Air India agreed to bring his pet. He arrived at his home in Birbhum's Suri late on Monday night from Calcutta airport via Delhi.

Three more medical students managed to return home to South 24-Parganas on Sunday. All of them are the residents of Sonarpur. Last Saturday, around 14 students had returned to the state from Ukraine. State government is arranging cabs at the airport so that the Ukraine returnees are smoothly transported to their native places. All the students, who have managed to return home so far, had faced a series of adversities before crossing over to neighbouring countries. Most of them had to walk a long way to reach the border. Indian students had to cross over to Romania, Poland and Hungary before finally arriving in the country. Family members of these students have, however, heaved a sigh of relief as they managed to return home. The medical students are skeptical about their career.