'Don't want war, war means widespread destruction'

Nizamabad: "Never want a war with neighbours. War means destruction. There will be a rain of bombs; dead bodies, wounded people, insecurity, hunger and persecution will be everywhere," said Chaitali, a resident of Nizamabad who returned home on Thursday after enduring many hardships from the Ukrainian battlefield, shared her experiences with The Hans India.

"I came to India through Operation Ganga and at one stage I never thought I would see our parents again," she said.

Satish and Sangita couple, a veterinary doctor in Nizamabad, have a daughter and a son. Daughter Chaitali went to study MBBS in Kiev, Ukraine. Chaitali, an MBBS fifth-year student, was trapped there, causing concern among parents. Chaitali says the situation in Kiev is serious. "We walked 36 kilometers in the freezing cold. We experienced extremely cold weather at minus 4 degrees. The blast took place about 800 meters from the premises where we stayed. The roar of warplanes and the siren blows made us so emotionally discouraged," she said.

"The bunker where we had taken shelter was suffocating. It was insecure outside bunkers. When the Indian embassy warned us to leave Kiev, we started our journey on foot. After tens of kilometers of uncertainty on the battlefield, risking our lives and finally boarded a train to Cowell City."

"From there we reached Poland. Even after us many more Indian students are coming to the borders on foot. Ukrainian citizens send only women and children to safer areas, but they are fighting the war with Russia," she said. She nodded when asked if she would go to study in Ukraine after the war ends.

Chaitali said that Union Minister VK Singh had assured her that her degree could be transferred to Poland.