EXCLUSIVE | We’re Terrified, Walking to Ukraine Stations with Indian Flag in Hand: Naveen’s Friends to News18

The death of Naveen Shekhargouda Gyanagoudar in the Ukraine shelling on Tuesday has left the Indian student community terrified, forcing scores, who were housed in bunkers in Kharkhiv and Kyiv, to walk towards the closest train stations to travel to safer parts of Western Ukraine.

Amit Vaishyar was Naveen’s close friend and one of his nine roommates. When News18 called Amit’s parents in Haveri district of Karnataka, they had just spoken to their son on the phone. Amit was headed towards Kharkhiv station on foot, along with hundreds of other Indian students. Carrying the Indian flag in their hands, they are hoping to get help from the Indian embassy officials once they reach the train station.

“We have asked Amit to keep us posted every hour. When he calls us or sends us a text message, we know that he is alive,” said Amit’s father Venkatesh over the phone from his home in Chalageri in Haveri district.