Ukraine War: Kashmiri Students Studying In Ukraine 바카라�Smelled바카라� Home In War

In 2016, protests rocked Kashmir following death of a young militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani. Young Wani from south Kashmir바카라�s Tral had become a poster boy of militancy in Kashmir. His videos with gun in the woods attracted many towards the path of militancy. Many believe a tech savvy Wani fought narrative war on social media rather than real combat battle on ground. That year Kashmir saw protests with many young boys filling the Valley바카라�s myriad graveyards that have only mounted in recent decades.

Away from protests at home, Yawar Hamid Bhat fell in love with Ukraine. It was like Kashmir. Particularly the country바카라�s climate was similar to Kashmir. He found it soothing and apt to fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor. There was peace in Ukraine. There was nothing like a protest. There were no bullets or pellets. Everybody was free to move anywhere without any hurdles or checking, without questions being asked and without any fear. 

It was not like Yawar was the first one from his family to go to Ukraine for studying medicine. Rather it has been a tradition for Bhat clan of Villigam village in Kashmir바카라�s Handwara to study medicine in Ukraine. 

바카라�My cousins had been studying in Ukraine already,바카라� said 25-year-old Yawar from Ukraine.

Yawar got himself enrolled at a medical college in Ukraine바카라�s Sumy state, an area which is some 30 kilometers away from border with Russia. Infact, Sumy바카라�s parts fell both in Ukraine and Russia.

From his Sumy State University, Yawar would routinely drive all the way towards the border with Russia along with his friends. 

바카라�We would get cars at cheap prices from Russia. The agent from Russia would get the car to border and from there we would drive it back ourselves to Ukraine,바카라� said Yawar.

Yawar never felt like that Ukraine and Russia were different and could turn worst of the enemies against each other. That was until night of February 22. Russia attacked Ukraine the next day.

That day, Yawar remembers he along with his friends had gone on excursion, had fun on the streets and partyed till midnight, before tiring himself enough to douse off for a good night바카라�s sleep.

바카라�We were all friends sleeping at a flat. There were huge bangs. We had no idea what it was all about,바카라� said Yawar.

The news of a 바카라�war바카라� to Yawar was broken by a call in the wee hours of February 23 from his family living all the way in Kashmir.

바카라�A war has broken out. Take care of yourself. We pray to Allah that you get soon back to Kashmir,바카라� Yawar바카라�s family had told him.

Outside Yawar saw local Ukrainians rushing towards supermarkets. 바카라�Everyone was trying to get everything,바카라� recalls Yawar. He saw crowds at ATMs and refilling stations. Chaos and confusion was witnessed by Yawar on Sumy바카라�s streets in Ukraine.

바카라�Huge supermarkets went empty within few minutes,바카라� said Yawar.   

Yawar was witnessing a different Ukraine altogether. The developed country of Ukraine seemed different for the first time in the past five years for Yawar. Though, this was not unusual for him. Back home in Kashmir, he was used to this all: chaos and confusion.

In next few days, Yawar saw Russian tanks and artillery laden trucks crossing the border and coming inside Ukraine. Among 700 Indians at Sumy, Yawar reminisces Kashmiris were the ones whose faces reflected no fear.

바카라�The only question was about Russian Army. Will they do anything to us? But, they did no harm to us,바카라� said Yawar. 

Then, Yawar saw Ukrainians resisting Russia바카라�s invasion. The locals in Ukraine picked guns to save their land. 바카라�Guns were made available to everyone. Guns were everywhere. Guns were open for everybody to fight Russia,바카라� said Yawar.

However, again this was not something Yawar was worried about. He had heard stories of militants ruling streets in Kashmir during 1990s. Besides, Yawar hailed from Valley바카라�s part which is a frontier district and where confrontation between security forces and militants happens almost routinely.   

When war escalated in the comings days, electricity went off, water supply was stopped and life became a hell for Yawar in developed Ukraine, particularly due to the harsh winter in the war. 

바카라�For 25 days, we used snow for water. It was a struggle and we managed it,바카라� said Yawar.

After 20 days, Yawar said help reached to them through Red Cross when they were brought to Poltava, which is usually two hours drive from Sumy. However, this time it took Yawar and his group one and a half day to reach Poltava. All along the way they were stopped at places by Ukrainian Army or Russian Army. 바카라�We weren바카라�t harmed,바카라� said Yawar. However, Yawar saw Ukrainian soldiers snatching mobile phones of some students who were shooting videos while passing through them.

It was from Poltava that Yawar along with his group entered Poland to reach India.

Rufaida Syed studying medicine at KHIM University in Kharkiv was holding deliberations with her university officials and agent. It was after rumours of war had begun to resonate in Ukraine바카라�s cold air by the end of 2021. On 8th February 2022, there was a 바카라�strong rumor바카라� that something 바카라�big바카라� is going to happen. However, it turned out to be hoax.

바카라�We wanted to go home. However, there was question of career as well,바카라� said Rufaida.

However, 8th February changed perception of people in  Kharkiv, recalls Rufaida. 

바카라�Everybody said that in this 21st century, war cannot happen. So, we decided to stay,바카라� said Rufaida.

Also, the streets, the people and the daily routine in Kharkiv reflected 바카라�positivity바카라�. 바카라�Everything was going on normally바카라�, said Rufaida. On February 22, Rufaida was studying hard for her examination scheduled next day. She went through every possible book and her notes to prepare best for her examination. At 3 am, her eyes felt heavy and she decided to have a nap. She was having a dream until the time an 바카라�earthquake바카라� shook her. She got up and checked time. It was 3:55 am.

She now heard 바카라�loud sounds바카라�, besides she felt something heavy was being thrown on her flat from top which was making it to shake each time.

Within few minutes, her mobile phone popped up with a Whatsapp message. It was a video of a building somewhere in Kharkiv blown to smithereens by a Russian missile. A flurry of missiles had been launched by Russia on Ukraine during the dead of night. A war had broken out.  

Next Rufaida along with her two roommates were directed to shift inside the basement of their building. Then to underground metro stations, considered safe in case of missile attacks. Outside Rufaida didn바카라�t know what was happening. It was only during those moments when Rufaida along with her friends used to move out of metro station to buy food or get something from their flat that scenes of destruction in Ukraine were captured by her eyes. She couldn바카라�t believe that trail of destruction would occur in a developed country like Ukraine.

Hailing from Kashmir바카라�s Sopore바카라�considered a separatist bastion, Rufaida had grown up with sounds of bullets and bombs. It wasn바카라�t something new to her. She felt different among her friends who were all teary eyed and anxious about the war. She witnessed Russian tanks with 바카라�Z바카라� imprint on them moving inside Kharkiv. She also remembers the work of her 바카라�braveheart바카라� agent Karan Sandhu from Punjab, who would ensure food delivery to them inside those subways when missiles were zooming outside. It was after five days of braving missiles Rufaida along with her friends went to nearby railway station to catch a train for Poland.

바카라�Taxis were already booked. Some taxi drivers tried to take undue advantage of the crisis and were overcharging. We somehow got a taxi and reached the station,바카라� said Rufaida.

At railway station, she witnessed chaos. Hordes of people had assembled to catch the train and fled from the war. Rufaida along with her friends boarded the train without checking its destination.

바카라�We prayed that this train will move to safer place,바카라� said Rufaida.

Inside train she witnessed 바카라�ill treatment바카라� of local Ukrainians. 바카라�They were pushing foreign students. They were complaining about seats and all,바카라� said Rufaida.

The train stopped at Laviv, where she stayed for two days and boarded a taxi towards Poland border.

At the border again, Rufaida said Ukrainians were given first priority. 바카라�We had to wait in cold all night until our turn to cross the check point in morning. Some students had hypothermia,바카라� said Rufaida. 

Burhan Bashir was a different being for his Iranian and Egyptian friends during those days of war in Ukraine. A second year student of medicine in Ukraine바카라�s Kyiv, Burhan wasn바카라�t able to make them understand why the situation was not different for him. The chaos and confusion, he witnessed at Kyiv was similar back home in Kashmir.

바카라�The only difference was missiles and the magnitude of war. Anyway, I was relaxed,바카라� said Burhan.

Prior to war, he saw bunkers being built, missile blockers being built and facilities being made for the people. However, Burhan didn바카라�t feel it different. It was something not new for him. Hailing from south Kashmir바카라�s Bijebehara, Burhan belonged to the part of Kashmir which post Burhan Wani바카라�s killing witnessed civilian killings and frequent encounters between militants and security forces. 

At Turnobill National Medical University, Umer Salam Dar was undeterred by the siren, a warning signal for civilians in Ukraine to go underground whenever there is a missile attack from Russia. The missile can strike anywhere in the country, Ukraine government has announced. However, it doesn't bother Umer. He continues to to play his favorite sport of volleyball below the skies.  

바카라�I had a good session of volleyball. The game went a bit long yesterday. I got a slight cold,바카라� said Umer, living in Turnobill in Ukraine바카라�s West, considered relatively safe.

A 23-year-old hailing from Srinagar바카라�s HMT area, he wasn바카라�t ready to leave his passion of medicine midway when war broke last year. 바카라�It was safe there,바카라� said Umer.

However, it was after family바카라�s insistence that he decided to move back home.

Umer바카라�s believes the kind of determination and grit he showed in Ukraine comes due his birthplace. 

바카라�Although, there it is a full-fledged war going on. There missiles are being fired. However, the chaos and confusion is same as home. I would say it is still better like what we are used to back home,바카라� said Umer.

To add to his point Umer said internet have never been down during the war in Ukraine.

Following his family바카라�s insistence, Ukraine crossed the border and got inside Romania to land in India last year.

According to the unofficial estimates of Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, 165 students, mostly studying medicine, are in Ukraine.

While most of the Kashmiri students have returned to Ukraine as their universities have shifted campuses to West Ukraine, considered safe, there are many students who have got their medical courses shifted to other countries like Kazakhstan and Georgia.

The devastation in Ukraine is going to complete a one full year, and there are both stories of destruction and resilience. It has already left an imprint on Kashmiri students studying there who have said "it felt like Kashmir".