Chennai, March 15 (BPNS)
While their countries are in a bloody war, 16 Russians and 6 Ukrainians are staying together at a guest house in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu.
The Russians and Ukrainians are stranded in the temple town and a good samaritan, Sathya Gopal took them under his wings and provided them free accommodation and food. Of the 22 tourists who are stuck here,18 are women and Sathya Gopal told BPNS that he found them stranded and one woman was crying.
Sathya Gopal while speaking to BPNS said, “ I found two Ukrainian women tourists crying near the Arunachaleshwarar temple in Tiruvannamalai and when enquired they told me that they don’t have any cash left and were not in a position to get food and accommodation. I immediately arranged accommodation at my guest house and several friends are helping with the food.”
Most of them have reached India on a one-month tourist visa and some reached on a three-month tourist visa. Sathya Gopal said, “The Visas of some of the tourists will expire by the end of March and have already written to the FRRO and other officers for providing an extension and mostly will get.”
Sathya Gopal found that six Russian tourists were also struck in some guest house after they ran out of money and brought them to his guest house.
He has also put a Facebook photo of the Russian and Ukrainian tourists sitting together in his guest house and has called for other stranded tourists to contact him if they require accommodation and food.
After his post on social media, Russians and Ukrainians from Rishikesh, Puducherry, and other places came down to Tiruvannamalai and started staying at his guest house.
Gopalan said, “There are medical doctors, engineers, and teachers among those who are on a visit to India. While accommodation is given free of cost by me, some Ashrams here provide food on a rotational basis to the tourists.”
He also said that the Ukrainians and the Russians are living in a very friendly manner in his guest house.
Sathya Gopalan said that the Russian tourists who are psychologists are helping the Ukrainian tourists who have some mental disturbances and depression due to the war.
R. Vetrivelan who is taking care of the tourists while speaking to BPNS said, “ They are in good friendship and there are no issues between them even though their countries are fighting a deadly war. Some Ukrainians don’t know English and the Russians took patience and translated that to us so that we could help them properly.”
Sathya Gopalan said that he was trying to help Russian and Ukrainian tourists stranded across India by finding food and accommodation near their respective locations. We are on a Pan India mission to support the stranded Russians and Ukrainians.”
Vetrivelan said that there is a good bonding between the Ukrainians and the Russians even though their mother nations are a deadly war.
