“We don’t take decisions based on who will think what; we take decisions according to what we think and whom we need to help” — This statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi encapsulates not just India’s policies as well as roadmap in today’s world but also one of the country’s biggest evacuation operations of the 21st century in Ukraine.
India’s mega humanitarian exercise, which not only swelled Indians with pride but also showcased the country’s global standing, has been showcased in History TV18’s new documentary ‘The Evacuation: Operation Ganga’ that features the heroes of the arduous task and aired at 8pm on Saturday.
Explaining the roots of the exercise, PM Modi said in the documentary: “If Indians all over the world face any personal troubles… if someone falls ill, they expect that arrangements will be made at the earliest to evacuate them. It’s natural. An Indian citizen also feels that if during such a time, the Indian government does not support us then who will? This is the government’s obligation.”
The documentary also shed light on how the prime minister came up with the name ‘Operation Ganga’ for the mission that aimed to rescue stranded students from war-torn Ukraine.
“There is nothing more sacred than the Ganga. This job [evacuation] was equally sacred. Just like Maa Ganga cuts through rough terrain and mountains and has been flowing since forever for the wellbeing of humanity, this task too was sacred. That sacred feeling was the inspiration behind the operation being named Ganga,” PM Modi said.
The documentary, narrated by media commentator and Defence Analyst Maroof Raza, juxtaposes the worsening situation in Ukraine and the ever-present fear for life, with the unfolding of a massive rescue mission focused on a singular objective – to bring every Indian back home.
With this aim, the first step the prime minister took was to ensure contact was established with the parents of children stuck in Ukraine. “We had to assure them that the government is with them. They should feel that the government has arrived at their doorstep,” he said.
The exercise was not just a colossal attempt at ensuring the wellbeing of the students but also a test of India and PM Modi’s diplomacy and foreign policy at the international level.
Using his statesmanship, the prime minister called up Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and requested them to allow the creation of green corridors in India’s interest.
Not only this, PM Modi also reached out to heads of states and requested that visa requirements be waived off and cross-border transits be made easier.
“Whenever the world has faced a global crisis, we have never backed out. When there was a cyclone in Fiji, we helped out. In Maldives, there was a power crisis and we stayed put till their systems were restored. In Sri Lanka, there was a shortage of rice. We did not see expenditure. Our consideration was that people should not starve. When there was a massive earthquake in Nepal, we had to help the locals as well as bring back the Indians stranded there. We persevered on both fronts. I have been insisting from the beginning that our foreign policy should be human-centric. It should not only help Indian citizens but be for all of mankind,” PM Modi said.
As India became a beacon of hope not just for its students but those from several countries who fled using the logistical support of the Modi government, the prime minister called it the “power of the Indian tricolour”.
“See the power of the Indian tricolour. We don’t feel it here but there is a feeling of devotion, respect and also strength. When the students were leaving Ukraine and they showed the Indian flag, all administrations came forward to help them,” he said.
The prime minister added: “The students also felt that more than the colour of their skin, it was the tricolour that had such strength that even in a country that was facing hardships on its own, people were coming forward to help us on seeing the tricolour. This operation made not just the students realise the power of the tricolour but also those who heard of it in India.”
PM Modi also expressed his gratitude to the Indian diaspora as well as social organisations who came forward to help the students with essentials such as food, water and clothes to beat the weather woes.
“An Indian living anywhere in the world, the colour of his passport may have changed but he shares a blood relation with us. We don’t see the colour of passport, we are tied together by the colour of blood,” he said.
Lauding the multi-pronged approach that saw the entire country — bureaucrats, ministers, embassy officials, and states — come together, PM Modi said: “Whether one person benefits or five do or 50 or a lakh, back home, it instilled faith in 140 crore Indians. Perhaps no other country could have rescued its citizens with such courage.”
The prime minister also expressed confidence that there was no doubt about the success of ‘Operation Ganga’. “I was sure that every student will come back. Their parents’ dreams will not be shattered,” he said.
Earlier, sharing the promo of the documentary on Twitter, PM Modi said the film would be very informative on aspects relating to the Indian government’s mission in Ukraine.
“Operation Ganga indicates our firm resolve to stand with our people no matter how daunting the challenge is. It also reflects India’s indomitable spirit. This documentary would be very informative on aspects relating to this Operation,” the prime minister tweeted.
‘The Evacuation’ tells the remarkable story that captures the trials and tribulations experienced by Indians students stuck in war-torn Ukraine. It also highlights the perseverance of the Indian government and its strategic approach to bring every Indian back home.
The documentary showcases a blow-by-blow account from days prior to the conflict in February 2022 to the actual break out of the war, and beyond. Operation Ganga is one of the largest evacuation operations to be carried out in the 21st century, in a hostile environment. The narrative is supported by compelling archival footage, graphics and never seen before stories and anecdotes, with details of how the Indian government managed to create green corridors to get our students out safely.
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