PM Modi’s Russia visit: “Ray of hope for trapped Indians in Russia”, says father of Indian youth trapped in Russian army

Gurdaspur (Punjab) [India], July 10 (ANI): Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Balwinder Singh, the father of Gagandeep Singh who is a trapped Indian youth in the Russian army, said that there is now a ray of hope for the stranded Indians in war-hit Russia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, took a strong stance on the issue of Indian nationals being recruited into the Russian army and the Russian government has assured an “early discharge” of these Indians from the army service, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Tuesday.

In a conversation with ANI, Balwinder Singh said, “I have come across several media reports and got to know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia. Even my son told me over the phone that PM Modi reached Russia and held talks with the government regarding the release of the trapped Indians.”

Singh further said that his son, Gagandeep Singh, informed him that the trapped Indians are sent to the battlegrounds and kept in ‘bunkers’, which are defensive military fortifications to shield people in the war-hit zones.

“My son told me over the phone that the trapped Indians are sent to battlegrounds, having been handed over guns and grenades. They are kept in bunkers. However, with Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the country, there is now a ray of hope for our trapped countrymen in the Russian army”, he said.

Several Indians were allegedly duped into fighting in Russia’s war with Ukraine on the pretext of lucrative jobs. In April, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), had busted a major human trafficking network running across the country targeting Indian nationals on the promise of offering lucrative jobs abroad but allegedly sending them to the Russia-Ukraine war zone.

The CBI stated that these traffickers have been operating as an organized network and were luring Indian nationals through social media channels like YouTube, etc., and also through their local contacts and agents for highly paid jobs in Russia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on an official visit to Russia and Austria held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Calling peace “most important” for future generations, PM Modi said that there is no solution on the battlefield and added that peace talks do not succeed amid bombs, guns, and bullets.

During his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, PM Modi said, “As a friend, I have always said that for the bright future of our coming generations, peace is of utmost importance. But I also know that solutions are not possible on battlegrounds. Amid bombs, guns, and bullets, solutions and peace talks do not succeed. We will have to follow the path to peace only through talks.”

It is PM Modi’s first visit to Russia since the war started between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022. India has always advocated “peace and diplomacy” for resolving conflict between India and Russia.