Tragically, a young Indian man of 22 has died fighting on the frontline in Russia, his family has reported. The Indian Embassy in Moscow has confirmed the sad news of one Ravi Moun, a native of Matour village in Haryana’s Kaithal district. However, the circumstances in which he met his untimely death remain sketchy.
Ravi’s family stated that he was said to have been compelled to fight against Ukrainian troops. Ajay Moun, the elder brother of Ravi, further testified that the embassy of his country has asked that they take a DNA test to identify Ravi’s body, something the family has not hesitated to do.
The episode has raised a grim note on India’s diplomacy because earlier this month, Modi had even raised the issue of Indian nationals employed in the Russian military asking for their early repatriation with Putin. Nevertheless, Ravi’s case reveals the current issues that persist.
The Ministry of External Affairs, or the MEA, had earlier acknowledged the death of two other Indian nationals who were hired by the Russian army. Knowing that the family sold the one-acre land, Ajay Moun noted that Ravi travelled to Russia in January to work for a company, but he was instead taken by force to join the Russian military.
Ravi’s death, which was confirmed by the Indian embassy on 21 July, has given rise to many challenges as far as the process of repatriation is concerned. Currently, the family has turned to Prime Minister Modi, appealing for help to bring back Ravi’s remains, as the situation has been referred to as ‘heartbreaking’ by the Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.
