Family pleads for repatriation of conscripts to Russian army

Seeing that all the friends he knew had gone abroad, he was not happy with the good income he was getting at home. He went to Dubai once in search of work but returned to Nepal after three months. Between the expenses of going to Dubai and the hustle and bustle of earning abroad, he was suddenly lured by a broker and rushed to Russia. He did not even tell at home that he would join the Russian army.

According to the family, Neupane, who left for training as an electrician in Dhangadi after Dasain, is planning to go to Russia via Dubai on a tourist visa from Kathmandu. However, after learning that the Nepalis going on tourist visas were strictly enforced at the Tribhuvan Airport, he reached Russia through India with the help of brokers. A week later, he called his wife Sudha on WhatsApp but did not tell her that he had reached Russia. Instead, he refused saying that the training was going on and that he would not be answering the phone in the village. One day Sudha suddenly found out that her husband was not from Nepal. And she found out that her husband was being recruited into the Russian army and was training.

Sudha is now more disturbed by the news that her husband has joined the Russian army. Sometimes there is contact only for 1 month and sometimes for a month and a half. My heart is scared," she said. He expects the government to take the initiative to bring back as many Nepali citizens as possible who were recruited into the Russian army.

There is a similar problem in India, in the family of 38-year-old Bhim Bahadur Vick of East Nawalparasi Vinayatriveni-7. Retired from the Nepali Army, Bhim Dalal was lured to Russia before Dasain, but has not been in touch with his family for the last 6 months. His brother Navraj said that the family was worried when his wife and parents of two sons went to Russia and were out of touch for a long time. He said, "We are calling the government agencies of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs to search for my brother. The government of Nepal had to take the initiative to bring them back anyway.'

Even those who reached Russia without contact and only occasionally come in contact with their families do not seem to speak openly about their rescue. A family from Devchuli said that although their relative is in the Russian army and needs to be rescued immediately, it is difficult to talk about it openly because the media will increase the surveillance on that person. A woman who came in contact with Kantipur, on condition of anonymity, said that if the government fails to bring her back, she will initiate efforts to bring her husband back through brokers.