New Delhi: Briefing the Rajya Sabha on the most challenging evacuation program carried out by the Indian govt, External affairs minister S Jaishankar outlined the step- by step approach taken by the ministry to evacuate nearly 20,000 Indians, most of them students amidst hostilities staged by Ukraine and Russia.
“As tensions increased, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine started a registration drive for Indians in Jan 2022. As a result, around 20,000 Indians registered. Despite advisories, a large number of students elected to stay back,” Jaishankar stated.
With the Indian community spread across the war-hit Eastern country, evacuating them posed severe logistic challenges as the exit ports were already clogged by 26 lakh refugees.
“At the direction of the PM, we launched Operation Ganga, thereby undertaking one of the most challenging evacuation exercises during an ongoing conflict situation. The exercise was undertaken at a time when military actions, including airstrikes and shelling, were underway,” he said.
The MEA ramped up its services and worked round the clock, coordinating with multiple central ministries to aid them in evacuation. Review meetings were chaired on a daily basis where dignitaries from all the ministries extended support.
Severe challenges were posed by the Indian govt after Ukraine closed its air space after Russia began its so-called ‘special military operation’ a day after it announced the Republic of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent anti-Ukraine regions.