Kalimpong man forced to join Russian army released
Times of India | 19 September 2024
Kalimpong: Forty-seven-year-old Kalimpong resident Urgen Tamang, who was forcibly drafted into the Russian army to fight the Ukraine war, was released on Tuesday. Tamang arrived in Moscow on Wednesday and is expected to reach India by the weekend.
TOI had carried a report in March when the former Army havildar released a 3-minute video pleading for help from Indian govt.The Chibo-Purbung resident had alleged he had been misled by “recruiting agents” with promises of a lucrative job in Russia. There, he was enlisted into the Russian army “without his consent”.
In July, PM Narendra Modi raised with Russian President Vladimir Putin the allegations of Indians coerced into fighting the war. On Sept 12, the ministry of external affairs said 45 Indians had been discharged from the Russian military. However, around 50 more are still trapped; efforts are underway to get them released.