Campaign to Save Indians
The safety of Indians living in any part of the world remains one of the key priorities of the Government. In the last seven years, several black swan events in different parts of the world threatened the safety of Indian nationals. But with the astute planning and effective use of resources along with exploiting the full potential of its growing international clout, India has been successful in evacuating its citizens from dangerous places. When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out recently the Indian Government swung into action and started ‘Operation Ganga’ with an aim to bring Indians back home safely. In the last few years, the Indian foreign policy has transformed which is not only more proactive but also signals self-reliance. India has diligently shed the tag of soft state repudiating the ‘Defensive and Dependent’ mentality of the past. Be it the lockdown due to Covid or any turbulent situation in countries like Afghanistan, Nepal, Sudan, Yemen, Indonesia, the Indian Government reached out to its citizens….
-When the tricolour became a savoir on foreign land
The loved ones who returned home share their experiences.
The might of the Indian flag was demonstrated when the buses carrying Indians with tricolours were not stopped for checking. Kashish Sharma and Oshima, two students who reached Shimla from Ukraine said, “With the efforts of the Governments of India the Ambassador of India to Ukraine and the government there was trying to send us back safely. The buses taking the students to the airport were displaying the Indian flag due to which they were not stopped for checking by the army there.
“We were scared but came back safely with the help of the Indian government. We have come to know the value of the tricolour. Only the Government of India is helping in this situation. Our documents got verified very fast. Whereas the documents of students from other countries were not being verified.
“When there was a Russian attack on Ukraine on 24 February, it seemed that we would no longer be able to return back to India, saw the death very closely. But proud to be a resident of India, proud of the tricolour. It was instructed that we should put the tricolour on the buses; no Russian army will touch you.
– Views of two students who returned from Ukraine
Sakshi Singh, a student from Agra who was evacuated under Operation Ganga said, “We realized the importance of the tricolour in Ukraine. It has become the shield of Indians there.”
Hemant Paudwal, a student, says, “When we crossed the border, after seeing Indian flag we were relaxed. The embassy staffs were waiting for us with the flags which were very assuring for us.”
“We had given up hope that we would be able to go back to India. But with the help of the Government of India, we were able to return. We faced no problem anywhere. Thank you Modi sir. If anyone’s name was being taken in the house after God, then it was the name of Modi Ji. You saved us at a time when our parents were also not in a position to extend any help.”
“We were brought home free of cost. We do not have to incur any cost on food and other expenses. We stayed in the camp in Romania in minus 5 degrees temperature and then came back home. The camp also had very good arrangements.”
“I am Asma Shafiq, a resident of Pakistan. Indian Embassy supported me in this difficult time to bring me back to my home from Ukraine. I also thank Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support in bailing me out from Ukraine;”
Undoubtedly it is a matter of pride for Indians. In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, India carried out ‘Operation Ganga’ on a war footing to bring its people back to India. The successful evacuation stories of Indian nationals and the role of India in helping citizens of neighbouring countries to reach their homes safely demonstrates its ability to stand behind its citizens even during difficult times.
When the Ukraine crisis started, then India reached out to its citizens with the message of their nativity and belongingness to the motherland…Do not despair, do not lose hope, India is always with you. The value of the Indian tricolour could be easily gauged from the fact that in many cases Russian soldiers helped the Indian students after seeing the tricolour. The Indian Government stood the test of time by delivering on what it promised. The pragmatic approach and effective management of the crisis underscore India’s capabilities. The Indian students who returned home safely from Ukraine thanked the nation for facilitating smooth evacuation through ‘Operation Ganga’. The views of students returning home to Mumbai and various airports under this operation strengthen the hope of a new India.
Every life is precious for the nation and its leadership. This could be best understood from a 2017 tweet of the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. On 8 June 2017, in response to a question, she has replied on her Twitter handle that “If you are stranded on Mars, then there too the Indian Embassy will help you.” The ‘Operation Ganga’, conducted in the midst of the Ukraine crisis, has proved that the leadership of New India is not only determined to overcome every problem but also has the means and courage to do it.
India has proved time and again its capabilities to pull its citizens out of dangerous places through various missions- Be it ‘Operation Devi shakti’, conducted to evacuate Indians from Afghanistan in 2021,
‘Vande Bharat Mission’ aimed at bringing back Indian citizens from abroad during Covid crisis in 2020, ‘Lifeline Udan Mission’, ‘Operation Samudra Setu’, or ‘Operation Sankat Mochan’ launched in southern Sudan in 2016 and ‘Operation Raahat’ during Yemen crisis in 2015. Also, other evacuation operations such as ‘Operation Maitri’ to bring back Indians during the Nepal earthquake in 2015 or ‘Operation Samudra Maitri’ during earthquake-tsunami ‘ in Indonesia have won global praise. Not only this, During a storm in Mozambique, India launched ‘Operation Sahayata-19’ and during the Covid pandemic, it also rescued the foreign nationals of many countries including Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, America, Myanmar, Madagascar, South Africa, etc.
‘Operation Ganga’ becomes a life-savoir mission
In the war zone, there is a situation of- Out of the frying pan, into the fire for those stranded. When the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine on 24 February, the thoughts in the minds of 20 thousand Indian citizens-students stranded there could be well understood through the views shared by them in various media reports. The Indian government had started taking precautionary measures in the midst of rising tensions between Russia-Ukraine. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued the first advisory to its citizens on February 15, long before the start of the war. After that they were alerted through regular tweets and advisories. In an advisory issued on February 20, Indian citizens were advised to leave Ukraine’s capital Kyiv immediately. As a result of the initiative of the Government of India, some citizens returned home during this period. When war broke out on 24 February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting and made it clear that it would be his priority to bring back every Indian citizen safely. Meanwhile, for its citizens, India had issued advisory and helpline number and assured that alternative arrangements were being made to evacuate everyone safely.
The ‘Operation Ganga’ mission started with the aim to bring back every Indian safely. The Prime Minister emphasized on the safety and evacuation of Indian students at the high-level meeting. He said, “Safety and evacuation of students stranded in Ukraine is a priority. To accelerate the evacuation of students, further cooperation with neighbouring countries of Ukraine will be enhanced.” From the very beginning, he had made it clear that bringing back Indians home in difficult times is his top priority. On the very first day of the war, Prime Minister Modi talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on phone and made a cause for the safe return of Indians. It was the result of the efforts of the Central Government that this mission started on 26 February when an Air India flight carrying 219 people reached Mumbai.
The biggest difficulty for the mission was that Ukraine’s airspace was closed. In such a situation, India made arrangements for bringing back its citizens through Ukraine’s neighbouring countries – Romania, Hungary, Poland, and the Slovak Republic. With an aim to facilitate the evacuation process four Union Ministers- Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and Gen VK Singh went to these countries.
A 24-hour helpline was established and several camps were also set up. Also, India kept in touch with the Russian and Ukrainian authorities so that the process of evacuation of Indian citizens would be seamless. The proactive and sincere efforts of Indian ministers and officials in war-torn Ukraine were far more effective than the US, China, Great Britain, Germany, and many other countries.
India was actively involved in evacuating its people and the Prime Minister himself, while monitoring it, contacted the heads of states of the respective countries that can help in the evacuation process. India received very strong support from these countries which signals India’s increasing diplomatic clout in the last few years. Prime Minister Modi took several steps to rescue Indian students stranded in Ukraine and in the meantime, he also spoke to spiritual leaders and community leaders. He not only held high-level meetings but also successfully accomplished the mission of bringing back Indians by talking to government officials, the Indian community, foreign organizations, and spiritual leaders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 1 asked the Air Force to join the operation to step up efforts to evacuate Indians from Ukraine as part of ‘Operation Ganga’. Leveraging the capabilities of the Air Force ensured that the maximum number of people could be evacuated in a short time. This was an important step in increasing humanitarian aid more efficiently.
The C-17 Globe master of the Indian Air Force took off from Delhi for Romania on the morning of 2 March. In the backdrop of Operation Ganga Prime Minister Modi had said, “You have seen how, under Operation Ganga, India is bringing its citizens safely out of the war zone. Many big countries are facing difficulties in doing so. But it is due to India’s increasing influence that we have brought thousands of students back to their motherland.”
Operation Ganga: A meticulously planned evacuation mission
On March 1, Union Ministers JyotiradityaScindia, VK Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri, and Kiren Rijiju themselves reached Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Moldova to oversee ‘Operation Ganga’.
A control room was established in the Hungarian capital Budapest by forming a core team of 30 young officers of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). More than 150 officers and technical assistants were fully engaged to provide every possible help.
Along with the airlines, large aircraft including the C-17 Globemaster of the Indian Air Force were deployed to evacuate the Indians. Union ministers were sent to receive every Indian returning from the troubled areas at the airport so that their morale could be boosted.
To facilitate Operation Ganga, four teams were formed and they were entrusted with different tasks. A team kept a watch on people arriving at the border by different means and sent them to the city. The other team would make accommodation arrangements for the people in the city. For this 40 places were selected. The third team would arrange three meals a day for the people. A fourth team was deployed at the airport, which would tell the command center how many aircraft were available and how many people could be repatriated, and when.
Along with India, citizens of Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Tunisia were also evacuated. India rescued 9 students from Bangladesh and 3 students of neighbouring Nepal from Ukraine. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has thanked PM Modi for the safe evacuation of 9 Bangladeshi nationals from Ukraine.Under ‘Operation Ganga’, about 23,000 people have been brought back from Ukraine amid the war crisis
90 flights were operated under Operation Ganga. This included 76 civilian aircraft and 14 Indian Air Force aircraft.
India’s emergency ambulance service in Sri Lanka is still available in all nine provinces of the country.
#’Operation Ganga’
“By running Operation Ganga, we have also brought back thousands of Indians from Ukraine. Our sons and daughters are there, the government is working day and night to take them to their homes with full security. Today’s era is giving a very big message to India to every Indian. This is the time to make India more and more powerful, to make India self-reliant. This is the time to rise above caste and creed and stand with the nation by rising above small things.” –Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
Prime Minister Modi, Four Union Ministers and ‘Super 30’ scripted the success story of ‘Operation Ganga’
India’s stature has increased a lot at the global level due to the efficient and strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, India is able to speak without hesitation for the safety of its country and its citizens as has been demonstrated during the Russo-Ukraine war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself provided the stewardship, while four union ministers and a Super 30 team of Indian officers in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, successfully carried it out.
