It is in this background that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took up vigorously with President Vladimir Putin the issue of recruitment of Indians into the Russian Army and their dispatch to the conflict zones of Ukraine. The pressure has been incumbently built up for their repatriation from the families of four Indians who lost their lives in these units. India is seeking an immediate stoppage of the recruitments and, at the annual summit between Modi and Putin, urging the urgent return of all nationals.
According to Vinay Kwatra, foreign secretary of India, Modi's discussion with Putin yielded a commitment from the Russian side to speed up the process. Official figures on how many Indians have been recruited remain under wraps, but estimates are between 35 to 50. Out of this, only 10 have been repatriated so far through collaborative efforts with the Russian authorities.
Reports suggest that most Indians, who were initially promised civilian roles in Russia, were enlisted for military support roles and barely trained before being sent to active combat zones. The Indian Embassy in Moscow, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, reached out to Russian counterparts over the escalating concerns, forcing assurances from Russia about the discharge and facilitating the return of all affected individuals within weeks.
The matter came up for further discussion when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Astana. Russia's ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, admitted it was a grave situation and put the entire blame on deceptive recruitment practices by intermediaries targeting Indian nationals who go abroad in search of better opportunities.
Recent actions by India's Central Bureau of Investigation have identified the volatility of the issue at hand, bringing to light an entire network behind trafficking people on promises of lucrative jobs in Russia. As efforts are on to bring all the recruited Indians back safely, principled commitments from both countries will help in solving the fundamental problems so that such exploitation does not repeat.
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