A 22-year-old Haryanvi from Kaithal district, Ravi Moun, became the latest victim of the Russia-Ukraine war. The Indian Embassy in Moscow discovered that he was killed while fighting for Russia. As an Indian citizen, he had no business fighting Vladimir Putin’s war against his Ukrainian foe, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was lured by an agent who promised him a good salary and perks as a driver in Russia, with opportunities to eventually settle down in Europe. Instead, Moun was given a choice: serve in a Russian jail for 10 years or go to the war front and fight the Ukrainians after a 10-day training period. Naturally, he opted for the latter, only to die in the war. There are at least 30-40 Indians donning Russian uniforms and fighting in the war that began in February 2022. Most Russians do not want to fight Putin’s war, which is why this clever stratagem is used.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Russia as his first foreign destination in his third term. During his talks with Putin, he is reported to have specifically mentioned the case of Indians forced into the Russian Army, requesting their immediate release so that they could return to India. Alas, Putin does not seem to have acted upon Modi’s request, despite the Prime Minister accepting his hospitality at Putin’s dacha and earning criticism from the Ukrainians. Willy-nilly, India has been supporting Russia by buying its oil and choosing neutrality whenever the Russia-Ukraine war is discussed in the UN. The least Putin should do is allow the Indians who were forced to serve in the Russian army to return to India. He cannot win a war by deceiving foreigners into wearing Russian uniforms and fighting for the country. Such incidents have not even been heard of before. What a shame!
