Urgen Tamang, a resident of the Darjeeling hills enrolled in the Russian army, continues to dig bunkers despite signing a document with Russian authorities for “termination of contract” almost a month ago, said Kalimpong civic head.

The delay in Tamang’s release from the Russian army which is currently at war with Ukraine is keeping his wife and two children on the edge.

Rabi Pradhan, the chairman of the board of administrators at the Kalimpong municipality, wrote to the Indian embassy in Moscow on Tuesday about the delay in Tamang’s release.

“I have been in touch with Urgen on and off and the last time I spoke to him was on September 5, after which I have not been able to contact him,” said Pradhan.

The Kalimpong civic chief said Tamang had said he had been moved to a “safe zone” on August 6 from the battlefront and made to sign a document for “termination of contract” on August 8.

“Urgen told me that the Russian officials said that his paper had to be approved by Russia’s defence ministry after which he would be released. It has been more than a month following this development but he is yet to be released and this is why I decided to write to the Indian embassy, along with the President and the Prime Minister of India,” said Pradhan.

Tamang is now in the Rostov region of Russia.

“Even then, he is taken about 20km away every day and made to dig bunkers for 14 to 15 hours,” said Pradhan who added that he was hopeful that Tamang would be released as early as possible.

S. Jaishankar, external affairs minister, had last month stated in Parliament that at least 66 Indians were still enrolled in the Russian army.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly reiterated the urgent need for early release of all Indians from the Russian armed forces during his visit to Russia in July.

The Kalimpong resident, who had retired from the Indian Army in 2018, had earlier said that he had been posted with the second battalion of the 144 brigade of the
Russian army.

Tamang, who is in his 40s, had left for Russia on January 18. He had sent out an SOS to the Indian government on March 20 to rescue him before he was sent to the frontlines to fight Ukraine.

Earlier, Tamang had said agents from Siliguri had sent him to Delhi where another agent met him and gave him a ticket and visa to fly to Moscow.

Tamang, who was working as a security guard at a private company in Gujarat before flying to Moscow, had been told that he would get a job in Russia. Ultimately, he was recruited to the Russian army.