HistoryTV18 original documentary — ‘The Evacuation: Operation Ganga’ – produced by Colosceum Media, which premiered at 8pm on Saturday (June 17), provided a unique insight into how the India government rescued the Indians students stuck in war-torn Ukraine.
The documentary showcases a blow-by-blow account from days prior to the conflict in February 2022 to the actual break out of the war, and beyond. Operation Ganga is one of the largest evacuation operations to be carried out in the 21st century, in a hostile environment.
Elaborating on the rescue work on February 26, 2022, day 3 of the war, Air India pilot Shivani Kalra said, “We were given a very safe passage to reach Budapest and get stranded Indians out. Once we reached, we saw the terminal filled with stranded Indians waving at us, taking pictures."
As the first flight flew out, Operation Ganga had taken flight. Early next day, the second evacuation took place as the AI flight landed back with 250 students.
The documentary shows emotional breakdown of parents thanking the government for rescuing their children.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union minister of Aviation & steel, said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi monitored the exercise on a minute-to-minute basis, and held meetings in the situation room minimum twice a day, every day. Union ministers Jaishankar ji, Piyush Goyal ji were working the systems on the ground, along with the embassy staff in all four countries… did not leave even though the war had broken out, until our children were safely put on special railway trains commissioned by our embassy."
“In the heart of every Indian, there rests a profound faith: No matter the challenge, no matter how daunting the circumstance, they know their government stands with them and will bring them back home safely. This isn’t merely policy – it is our testament of humanity. This is a bond we have seen strengthen time and again, reflecting the indomitable spirit of our nation," says Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen telling in the documentary.
Sharing important insights, India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar adds an insider perspective of what transpired behind the scenes. Other esteemed figures from India’s foreign service, such as Rahul Shrivastava (AmWbassador of India to Romania, Moldova & Albania), Nagma Mallick (Ambassador of India to the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Lithuania), Partha Satpathy (Former Ambassador of India to Ukraine), also shed light on the relentless efforts of Indian diplomats, to ensure that stranded individuals were taken care of, despite extreme weather conditions, visa norms and more.
Speaking of India’s diplomatic efforts, Dr S Jaishankar says, “Our relentless efforts spanned across neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and later Moldova, as we sought their cooperation for facilitating the evacuation process from Ukraine. Through diplomatic channels, the Prime Minister engaged with President Putin, securing a cease-fire during the evacuation period and obtaining designated routes for evacuation. While numerous countries struggled to evacuate their citizens with just a couple of flights, India successfully coordinated 90 flights to safely send back Indian students. Our nation’s important voice continues to play a pivotal role in shaping outcomes on the global stage."
Special envoys and senior Ministers also feature in the documentary. Hardeep Puri (Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs & Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas), Gen (Retd) VK Singh (Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation) and Kiren Rijiju (Minister of Earth Sciences) explain how India expedited border crossings in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, revealing the extraordinary collaboration of state machinery, Indian defence forces, private partners and the Indian diaspora, as never witnessed before.
From the first-hand experiences of students living in bunkers without food and water, to the anxiety of their helpless parents back home, the film juxtaposes fear against the strength of a massive operation focused on a single agenda- to bring every Indian back home. This riveting story showcases representatives of the Indian government at Ukraine’s borders, union ministers being sent as special envoys to fast-track border crossing, and the coming together of the state machinery, Indian defense forces, private partners and the Indian diaspora like never before.
This story is a testament to India’s emergence as a global leader and her national flag standing tall as a symbol of a human centric foreign policy.
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