The growing uncertainty over the fate of three youths from Jammu-Sachin Khajuria of Pahariwala, Atul from Bawe Tallab, and Sumit Sharma from Kanachak-who were allegedly duped into joining the Russian Army under false promises- calls for urgent and decisive action from both the Union and the J&K Governments. With weeks having passed since their last confirmed communication, the anxiety of their families has turned into deep distress, and the silence from official channels only compounds their fears. What began as a hopeful pursuit of employment abroad has turned into a nightmare for these young men and their families. Reports suggest that the trio, along with a dozen others from across India, were lured by an agent offering lucrative jobs in bunker construction near the Ukraine border, promising handsome salaries and lump-sum payments. Instead, they found themselves deceitfully deployed at front-line military positions-a war zone that no civilian should be forced into. Their desperate WhatsApp calls home first revealed the shocking truth, but since then, contact has virtually ceased.
The plight of their families is heart-rending and entirely understandable. They have approached local leaders who, while sympathetic, have been unable to provide concrete updates beyond assurances. But the reality is grim: unless the Central Government, through the Ministry of External Affairs, intervenes at the highest diplomatic level, the chances of tracing and securing the return of these youth remain minimal. This issue is no longer confined to personal tragedy-it represents a broader challenge of protecting Indian citizens abroad from human trafficking, fraudulent recruitment, and exploitation in conflict zones. The Russian-Ukraine conflict has already claimed thousands of lives; sending untrained civilians, tricked under false pretences, to such areas is both inhuman and illegal. The Centre must treat this as a humanitarian emergency, pressing Russian authorities for immediate clarification and repatriation. Local representatives must persistently follow up with the MEA, and the Embassy in Moscow should intensify its efforts to locate the missing youth. Families deserve timely updates, not reassurances that lead nowhere. Every passing day heightens the risk, and bureaucratic delays could cost innocent lives. The only acceptable outcome is the safe return of all three Jammu youth.
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