Urgen Tamang, a resident of Himali Gaon, a small village in West Bengal’s Kalimpong district, recounted how he and a few others were deceived by job agents and subsequently coerced by the Russian military to fight in the war against Ukraine after only 12 days of basic weapons training.
“I saw many Indians, getting killed in the war. Every day was a nightmare for me. I couldn’t eat or sleep for days. I still can’t believe that I am back home and united with the family. I thank God for my safe return from the war zone in Russia,” Tamang shared this after exiting Bagdogra airport, located near Siliguri in North Bengal, on Saturday.
Tamang served in the Indian Army for 18 years but never experienced combat. He joined the army shortly after the Kargil War, at the age of 23. He retired in 2018 as a soldier and was searching for employment.
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“The agents, who took me to Russia promising a helper’s job with good salary, handed me over to the Russian Army after I reached there. My ordeal began there. I along with a few other persons were dropped in the battle zone just after 10 – 12 days of basic weapon training,” he said.
On Saturday, he arrived at Bagdogra airport, where his wife and two children were in tears upon seeing him. After their emotional reunion, Tamang touched the feet of Rabi Pradhan, the man who played a crucial role in helping him return home.
Pradhan, the chairman of the board of administrators for Kalimpong municipality, tirelessly advocated for Tamang’s release from the Russian army with Indian authorities.
“Urgen had almost lost hope that he would ever be able to return home. He couldn’t return despite having his name in the list of 34 Indians who managed to return to India earlier this year. He was depressed and frustrated and was worried that he would be pushed into the war zone again,” said Pradhan.
Pradhan noted that a breakthrough occurred during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in July, when he discussed the release of Indians in the Russian army with President Vladimir Putin.
In August, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar mentioned that at least 66 Indians were still serving in the Russian army. On September 10, Pradhan wrote to the Indian embassy in Moscow, indicating that Tamang had not yet been released.
Tamang was finally released by Russian authorities and arrived in Moscow on Tuesday. He landed in Bagdogra around 11:45 am on Saturday, where family members, relatives, and neighbors anxiously awaited his return.
Kundan Rai, a Kalimpong resident said: “Now we will celebrate Dasai (the biggest festival of the Gorkhas) in a grand way.”
Sangdoma Tamang, a relative of Urgen, said: “The ordeal of Urgen, his family members, which lasted for several months has finally come to an end.”
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