‘Like everything in Ukraine... want to go back once all over’

It has been just three months since they started to realise their dream to pursue medicine and become doctors, but the war in Ukraine has forced them to return to India. But two of the girls, who were awaiting the flight to Chennai at the Delhi airport, told DT Next they want to fly back to Ukraine as soon as the war comes to an end to continue their education.

“I liked everything in Ukraine; be it the education, the institution, the atmosphere and the country as a whole,” said U Harini of Poonamallee, who’s pursuing medicine at the Uzhhorod National University in Ukraine. “We’ve been told that the college would be closed till March 9 and the course would continue online for now. The college administration has assured that the regular classes will resume at least by September,” said Harini.

Another student Thenmozhi of Iyyapanthanal, who is a friend of Harini from school, said they did not know about the conflict until their parents alerted them. “Everything was normal inside the university and outside too. Only after our parents panicked, we started watching the news to keep ourselves updated,” says Thenmozhi.

Thenmozhi said the senior students played a major role in the evacuation as they coordinated with the hostel management to prepare a safe exit. The students were transported to Hungary border by college vehicles and allowed inside Hungary after a three-hour wait for passport and immigration verification. “Then we were taken to Budapest from where we reached Delhi,” said Thenmozhi. The students kept their parents alerted of their whereabouts so that did not panic unnecessarily.

Thenmozhi’s father Ezhilarasan, a private firm employee, who was anxiously waiting for her daughter and her friends at the Chennai airport said he sent her lone daughter to Ukraine since she was hell-bent on pursuing MBBS. “I can’t afford the college fees here. So I sent her to Ukraine. It cost about Rs 7 lakh including the college fee and other expenditures. I just hope that normalcy prevails soon in Ukraine for everyone’s good,” he said.