Save Indians from being forcibly pushed into Russian war zone, Durai Vaiko appeals to Modi

CHENNAI: MDMK principal secretary and Lok Sabha MP Durai Vaiko on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging his immediate intervention to rescue Kishore Saravanan, a medical student from Tamil Nadu who has been reportedly forcibly conscripted into the Russian military and faces deployment to the frontline in Ukraine.

Submitting a joint memorandum signed by several Members of Parliament, Durai Vaiko highlighted the distressing case of Kishore, a student from Cuddalore who had travelled to Russia for his medical education.

According to the representation, the student was picked up by Russian authorities on May 7, 2023, allegedly in connection with a drug case involving other residents in his shared accommodation. Despite a lack of evidence, Kishore was imprisoned and later placed in solitary confinement after his passport and documents were confiscated.

On July 12, 2025, Kishore managed to contact his family, revealing that he was facing physical and psychological abuse and undergoing military training under compulsion. He expressed fear that he would not survive if forced into active combat. His parents, overwhelmed by despair, have pleaded for urgent government action.

Durai Vaiko urged the Prime Minister to raise the matter at the highest diplomatic level and ensure Kishore’s safe repatriation. The memorandum was endorsed by MPs across party lines, including Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Supriya Sule of NCP (SP), DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Congress’s Shashi Tharoor.

The MDMK leader also submitted the appeal to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, calling for strong diplomatic steps to end such coercive practices against Indian citizens abroad and save them from Russia.