Stuck in Kyiv, Evacuated on Special Flight, Expecting Couple from Kerala to Name Unborn Child 'Ganga'

Amid Russia’s intensifying offensive on neighbouring country Ukraine that has caused mass movement across the war-hit country’s borders, a heartwarming tale has emerged about ‘Operation Ganga’. The evacuation process started by the Centre has enabled thousands of stranded Indian citizens, including students, to return. One such story is of an expecting couple from Kerala that has decided to name their unborn child Ganga, in honour of the government’s efforts to evacuate its nationals.

Union minister of state General VK Singh also shared the couple’s story on Twitter. Abhijeet and his nine-month pregnant wife were safely evacuated out of Kyiv, which is facing increased bombardment and shelling by Russian forces, on one of the special flights running under Operation Ganga. Abhijeet told News18 that he will name his child Ganga in honour of the central government’s evacuation process.

Tweeting about the story, Gen Singh said: “Probably the cutest living testament of #OperationGanga in the future will be a little girl from Kerala by the name of ‘Ganga’. Here is wishing the expecting parents and child who is soon to be born into this world, the very best. खुश रहो, जुग जुग जियो जय हिंद #NoIndianLeftBehind”

According to Abhijeet, he and his wife, who is nine months’ pregnant, were stuck in Kyiv when Russia attacked Ukraine.

He told News18: “My wife is fine now, she’s healthy. It was because of Operation Ganga, and the government of India that we could return to from Kyiv. We went to the hospital and got all the scans, the baby’s healthy and she’s doing fine. I will name my daughter Ganga in honour of Operation Ganga.”

India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine’s western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 due to the invasion.

In the latest update, the civil aviation ministry said 11 civilian and four Indian Air Force flights will return to India on Saturday with Indians from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries. The 11 civilian flights on Saturday are expected to bring back more than 2,200 Indians, with 10 landing in Delhi and one in Mumbai, the ministry’s statement noted. On Friday, 14 civilian and three IAF flights brought 3,772 Indians back, the statement noted.

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