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Stop criticising Indian students stuck in Ukraine; they need to be appreciated

Stop criticising Indian students stuck in Ukraine; they need to be appreciated

Indian nationals in Ukraine

I am a migrant who moved from my home town of Gorakhpur, first for my studies and then for my job.

Why do we migrate?

Our best and brightest go to the United States, many people from Punjabto Canada, people from Keralato the Middle East, and poor labourers to wherever they can find work.

We migrate for better opportunities, something that the local milieu does not provide us with.

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Simply put, it's for a better life, to be what we would rather be, rather than be content with circumstances.

If you understand this, then you will understand why Indian students go to places like Ukraine to study medicine, engineering, etc.

The online, and often offline, chatter that I hear against Indian students who are stuck in Ukraine due to the war with Russia reminds me of the same outrage I heard when poor migrants made the arduous journey back home during the first COVID lockdown.

Also read | Why is Ukraine such a popular choice for Indian medical students?

The 'Why did they migrate' preaching, looking down upon them without having walked a few steps in their shoes.

More than 20,000 Indian students were in Ukraine before the start of this conflict. Why were they there in the first place? Because Ukraine offers good education at affordable rates, approximately INR 2 million for a 6-year course, whereas similar courses in India would set you back by INR 5 million or more.

Most of these colleges in Ukraine are good, recognised by WHO, Indian and other reputed agencies.

Also, these doctors will have to pass the screening test administered by Medical Council of India (MCI) after their degree to practice medicine in India.

Also read | Ukraine war witness account: Indian medical student sheltering in bunker speaks of her fears

Every year, 14 million students in India sit for class 12 exams, with over 1.4 million students aspiring for a medical seat constituting even a good percentage of this total. This is an extremely consequential number. So, we have to scoff at the 20,000 or so students who have the privilege to go study abroad and add to medical professionals in India? On what basis?

Indian colleges have approximately 1,18,316 MBBS seats per year. Where is the 1,18, 317th aspirant to go?

Is she any less worthy than the 20-odd thousand aspirants above her in the merit list? I would say no, because if one in 10 is going to be selected, these exams are programmed as elimination tests, not selection tests.

So where are these 'rejects', with perfectly decent intellects, supposed to go?

If they are able to afford it, they go to places like Ukraine, if not much more expensive places. There is never an outrage if you hear someone go and attend an American college for any degree that will cost you way, way more than in places like Ukraine. Hence, students go there and will continue to go there even after this tragic war is over.

So, why the hypocrisy?

We see these students as the privileged lot. They are out there to buy their degrees, people think, with no proof whatsoever that they work any less hard than any medical student in India. Yes, their family money is paying for their education. That is true for most of our middle class and upper class households. Heck, even a poor migrant would rather send her daughter to an English-medium school if she could, and she should! What's criminal about this aspiration? What makes them the villains in our eyes?

Oh, why did they not leave before the Russian attack on Ukraine?

Yes, of course, you expect that, when the whole world was caught off guard with this war, these 20 somethings should have been able to predict what was going to happen!

They may have had their exams, but they just believed when everyone said, "Arey, war nahi hogi." (There won't be any war).

But the government asked them to return!! Have you seen some of the advisories that western nations have given to India from time to time? When was the last time you checked the travel advisory when you planned a foreign trip?

The most legitimate criticism that I have seen is that this was the Indian "chalta hai, kuch nahi hoga" (nothing will happen) approach in full action. Then, by that standard, we are all guilty of so many things.

So, stop this toxic culture of mocking people in trouble.

We, as Indians, should put an end to the poisonous culture of belittling individuals who are in difficulty.

Higher education needs to be democratised.

Higher fees and paid seats are the lifeblood of private colleges. Government intervention is required to make medical education more accessible.

And what is this toxic culture of mocking people in trouble? Social media has empowered us, but we abuse that power by hiding behind Twitter handles and spreading hatred and ill-will.
Most Indian families argue that meritorious students don't need to pay their way to a degree. That can be a principled stand or just the fact that most people can't afford a private version of such degrees, in India or anywhere.

This is not to say the poor can suck it. Let the rich study. No, no, no....I am just pointing out the fact that in India, PhDs and students with masters degrees would rather apply to be constables or janitors in the name of government service than actually make better use of the privilege they have had of a degree and education they have obtained.

The failure rates both in numbers and years lost by our young for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), many state PSCs, Railway jobs or any government job than doing something else is genocidal, that is where our population dividend has gone to die!

I would rather appreciate these 20,000 or so students who had the opportunity to do something better and took it, and for that I support them.