No one is confirming whether the body will be brought back. His body should be brought back to us. His friends are coming back alive and we are coping with the news of death, says the brother of medical student who died in Ukraine
The devastated family members of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, who died in the shelling in war-torn Ukraine, are hoping that the deceased young man’s body would be brought back to India at the earliest.
The family members till now have not got any specific inputs from the authorities on when their son’s body would be brought back to the country.
Harsha, the brother of deceased Naveen, said on Wednesday said, “No one is confirming whether the body will be brought back. His body should be brought back to us. His friends are coming back alive and we are coping with the news of death,” he said.
Shekarappa, Naveen’s father, stated that he had lost his son and he wanted the government to bring back other boys alive to India. “Thousands of students are stuck in Ukraine, they are assets of our country. They should be brought back safely,” he said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated that he has appealed to the external affairs ministry on the recovery of the body in two or three days if it is not possible immediately. The body of Naveen is lying in a war zone, which has made things complicated for the authorities. This news has deepened the grief of the family and relatives of Naveen.
Rajashekara Gouda, the maternal uncle of Naveen blamed the system resulting in his death. “Naveen has scored 97 per cent in II PUC (12 class). He could not get a medical seat under the government quota. The family could not pay a donation and he had to go to Ukraine to fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor,” he said.
Gouda said that Naveen had collected information from his friends and went to Ukraine to study medicine. He used to call every day and comforted his parents that nothing would happen to him. Naveen’s father Shekarappa also expressed his anguish that because of caste and donation his son had to pay with his life. He has urged the government to bring back the body of his son.
Naveen was a topper at school and scored 606 marks out of 626 in SSLC (Class 10) examination. The deceased boy was supposed to take 8th semester exams in June. He was also planning to take up an internship. He had gone to Ukraine after II PUC.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa has personally spoken to the family of deceased Naveen and assured that all efforts would be made to bring back the body to India.
Karnataka CM seeks help from Center
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday that if the body of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a medical student from the state studying in Ukraine who was killed in Russian shelling in Kharkiv on Tuesday, cannot be retrieved immediately, the External Affairs Ministry should try to bring back his mortal remains in the next two to three days.
“I am saddened by the turn of events,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Bommai said that Naveen from Haveri was pursuing his fourth year in medicine in Ukraine. He was staying in a bunker since last week. On Tuesday, he came out to join others but got killed in an air strike, becoming the first Indian casualty in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Two other boys who were with him also belong to Challageri village in Haveri district. One was hurt in the incident.
“Another student has escaped unhurt. The information has come from them while I have also spoken to the Ministry of External Affairs on the matter,” Bommai said.
“Naveen’s father is known to me and I have spoken with him. I know his family members as well. I am in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs to get complete information on chances of recovering the body. It is a war zone, and we do not yet have any information on the condition of the body of the deceased,” he said.
“I have spoken with officials in the PMO as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his desire to talk to Naveen’s family members. I have sent all the details to his office. He has spoken to them,” he said.
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