Nagaur Lok Sabha MP Hanuman Beniwal intensified the spotlight on a brewing scandal: scores of Indians coerced into Russian military service. In formal missives to top brass—PM Modi, Foreign Minister Jaishankar, and junior minister Singh—he insisted on immediate safe passage home for the missing and trapped.
Triggering the outreach: a poignant meeting with 24 family members at his Delhi pad. They recounted how travel agents’ lies funneled their breadwinners into armed conflict, severing ties for 3-4 months. Mental strain is palpable, with zero intel on the youths’ status in hostile terrains.
Parliamentary records paint a grim picture—211 affected Indians, 27 fatalities, 121 rescued, 63 unaccounted or held. Beniwal pressed for prioritized evacuations, victim compensation, and candid government disclosures. Echoing his December Lok Sabha intervention, he framed it as a humanitarian emergency demanding diplomatic firepower.
These weren’t volunteers; study and work visa holders were systematically misled amid Russia-Ukraine hostilities. States like Rajasthan, UP, and Punjab reel from the fallout. Beniwal renewed calls to dismantle the agent networks fueling this tragedy.
The letters cap a sustained campaign, blending grassroots outreach with legislative muscle. As repatriation numbers climb, the unfinished business looms large. India’s foreign policy machinery now races against time, balancing geopolitics with the raw pleas of ordinary families torn apart by overseas deceit.