GUWAHATI: A group of about 40 students from Assam, all from the Sumy State University, crossed capital Kyiv without any hindrance and are set to reach the Poland border on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, the students had to leave behind many of their cherished belongings, including books, which they fear would be lost forever in Russian shelling. Many of these students may never return to their university.
“I am carrying my education documents and two pairs of clothes. Finding accommodation in transport vehicles and trains is more important than carrying luggage. The train we boarded in Poltava on Tuesday night for Lviv through Kyiv was packed to the brim,” said Nilom Kolita, a fifth year medical student.
They traversed through "green corridors" along highways and village roads from Sumy to Poltava covering a distance of 170 km. “I got a seat in the train but had to offer it to a girl student. She was sitting in front of the washroom. I gave her my seat and sat where she was sitting, near the washroom,” said Nilom.
He saw Russian soldiers from close proximity for the first time in the "green corridors" created for evacuation. “We crossed a 3-km-long convoy of the Russian military," he said.
Nilom said that their convoy had 22 vehicles. "The road was blocked in many places. Through alternate routes it took 12 hours to reach Poltava. It’s a journey of three hours from Sumy," he added.
Assam House officials in Delhi are eagerly waiting to receive the group. "The Indian embassy people are keeping a constant watch on the border. Once the students reach the border, they will be flown to India. Travel arrangements are being done," said a government source.
