Many students NDTV spoke to have been upset with the government's handling of the evacuation.
Three Indian students from Kharkiv -- in the process of being evacuated from Poland -- told NDTV that they were beaten by the Ukrainian police and military at the railway station when they tried to get out of the city. They also questioned the timing of the Indian embassy's advisory to leave Kharkiv that was sent last evening, saying other nations, including the US, had asked their citizens to leave the city two days before India did.
The students, who reached Poland on Wednesday morning -- having set out long before the advisory was tweeted -- said they really had a hard time getting out of Ukraine.
Having walked 10-odd kilometers to the Kharkiv railway station, "we hardly managed to get on the platform when we got beaten up by the police," said one of the students. "They were allowing Ukrainians on priority basis, other countries on priority basis... they were not allowing any Indians," he said.
"Thereafter they allowed some girls (to go), then they asked for bribes. 200 dollars for each person if you want a ticket... At night we stayed on the platform. They said if you want to stay the night, you have to pay. And they were so drunk. They misbehaved," he added.
Regarding the government advisory, the students sounded indignant. "Why didn't they give this before? They could have given the advisory like the US and other governments," they said.
Last evening, the embassy sent an urgent appeal to Indians in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, saying they should leave without delay and reach the towns of Pisochyn, Babai or Bezlyudivka.The embassy gave a 6 PM local time deadline -- leaving people less than four hours to reach. If there is transport, people must walk, the embassy had said.
With the closest town, Pisochyn, 11 km away, the students argued it was impossible to cover on foot amid the heavy shelling. Not everyome could make it and today, the embassy sent another advisory, asking people left in Kharkiv to fill up a form in order to be evacuated.
Many students NDTV spoke to have been upset with the government's handling of the evacuation. Many students NDTV spoke to, contended that they needed help while in Ukraine, reaching the border and crossing it. "We do not want free flights (from peaceful nations)," was the refrain.