Kin of Indians stuck in Russia’s warzone take their fight to New Delhi
Indians recruited by the Russian Army forced to work in inhuman conditions with barely one meal a day, communication severely restricted, say relatives
Family members of 11 Indians stuck in the warzone on the Russia-Ukraine border arrived in New Delhi on Monday seeking return of the recruits. Some went home after they were not allowed to enter the Parliament or were unable to meet a government representative.
Six of the eleven men stuck in Russia hail from the same village in Haryana’s Kaithal. The other five are from Karnataka, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir. As the new Lok Sabha convened on Monday, the relatives expected their grievances to be heard.
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Aman Moun, 23, from Matour village in Haryana, said his younger brother Sahil, 21, went to Russia in February after he was promised the job of a security helper by an agent. However, on arrival, he was made to sign a contract and forced to fight alongside the Russian Army.
“Every house in my village has someone serving in the Army. We were also preparing to join the Army when Agniveer was announced. My brother thought instead of being jobless after four years, it is better to earn money in a foreign land and come back to do some business here,” said Mr. Aman. He said Mr. Sahil was hit by a grenade and is injured.
“They are forcing him to work as a night guard and during the day he lies in the bunker. When we call the Indian Embassy in Moscow, officials are rude and ask us not to bother them,” said Mr. Aman, who is preparing for government examinations. He said he is barely able to speak to his brother who replies to messages only once in a few days.
“We left home at 3.30 a.m. on Monday and took a train and a bus to reach Delhi. Yet, we were not allowed entry into the Parliament or the Foreign Ministry. All this costs money, my father is a farmer. I am on my way back,” he said.
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Mr. Aman said Ravi, another resident from his village, has been missing since March 12 and there has been no communication with him since then.
At least four Indians, recruited by the Russian Army, are known to have been killed in the war. Russian authorities are yet to hand over the bodies of two Indians who were missing for months and whose deaths were confirmed on June 11 by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The relatives said the men were being forced to work in more than 12-hour shifts with barely one meal a day. They said earlier they could video-call their relatives on WhatsApp, but Russian authorities appear to have blocked the services.
Syed Nawaz Ali, a head constable with the Karnataka Police, said his son Syed Ilyas Hussaini has been stuck in the warzone for the past six months and is physically and mentally broken.
“At least two Indians who went to Russia with him have been killed. He has not been given any salary. He went there as there are no jobs here and he has only studied till Class X. He has worked in Dubai with an airlines company where he made ₹25,000 per month. He went to Russia after being lured by a YouTube channel Baba Vlogs. He was promised ₹1.5 lakh per month and citizenship rights in six months,” Mr. Ali said.
Salman Syed, a resident of Hyderabad, whose brother Sufiyan is also stuck in Russia, said, “Sometimes they get food, sometimes they do not. He is forced to live in a godown. He works more than 12 hours digging trenches and tunnels. The frequency of calls has dropped since they blocked WhatsApp, only IMO messaging service works now,” said Mr. Syed as he waited outside Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
India has taken a stern view of the Russian Army’s continued recruitment of Indian nationals for the conflict, saying this is not in “consonance” with the India-Russia partnership. MEA said on June 11 that the matter has been taken up both with the Kremlin in Moscow and with the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi directly, calling for the “early release and return” of all Indians in the Russian Army.
At least 30 Indians have contacted the MEA and the Indian Embassy in Moscow seeking help to return.
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Russia-Ukraine Crisis