The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has approached the Union external affairs ministry and Prime Minister's Office ( PMO) for bringing back 24-year- old Rashika Khemka, a Jamshedpur girl stuck in war-ravaged Ukraine.
Daughter of businessman Sanjay Khemka, a resident of Baradwari, Rashika is pursuing her MBBS course at the Odessa National Medical University in Ukraine. She is in the final year.
In a letter sent to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Thursday evening, the president of SCCI Vijay Anand Moonka sought Centtre's assistance for early evacuation of Rashika from the war zone
"Since the war has intensified and further escalation is also expected in the days to come, we seek your intervention to use your good offices for evacuating her from Ukraine at the earliest," wrote Moonka in the letter.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the PMO, Indian Embassy, Jharkhand Chief Minister's Office ( CMO ) and office of East Singhbhum deputy commissioner. Rashika had last come to her hometown in January this year. Her uncle Nawal Khemka, a hotelier said, " We are in constant touch with her over phone. I spoke to her this morning. She could not sleep the whole night out of fear."
Rashika stays as a paying guest at Odessa which is close to her University. "We are worried ever since Russia attacked Ukraine. We too are spending sleepless nights and praying to God for her safe return from Ukraine, " said Sanjay Khemka, her father.
Holed up inside her apartment she is trying to stay in touch with her parents and other students through WhatsApp call. But, the network connectivity was deteriorating and was poor today.
A shocked Rashika had revealed to her parents that she could hear the sounds of bombing close to her apartment on Thursday. Due to implementation of martial law she is unable to come out of home since yesterday.
With Russia"s invasion on Ukraine Indian students enrolled in Ukrainian higher education institutions are living in fear and expecting immediate help from the Indian embassy.
Like Rashika, there are several other students from various parts of Jharkhand pursuing their medical education in Ukraine.
A meritorious student Rashika had completed her schooling from Sacred Heart Convent School in Jamshedpur and later she went to Kota in Rajasthan from where she did her coaching on medical.
Later, she shifted to Ukraine where she has been staying for the last five years for pursuing her MBBS curriculum.