Shot five times while trying to flee Ukraine, 33-year-old Harjot finally returns to India

Family members say they were on tenterhooks for five days that they hadn’t heard from him

March 08, 2022 09:38 pm | Updated 09:38 pm IST - NEW DELHI

Kesar Singh and Prakash Kaur, parents of Harjot Singh, showiing their son’s jacket at their residence in Chhattarpur, New Delhi on Tuesday

Kesar Singh and Prakash Kaur, parents of Harjot Singh, showiing their son’s jacket at their residence in Chhattarpur, New Delhi on Tuesday | Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV

The period between February 26 and March 2, when the parents of Harjot Singh hadn’t from their son stranded in Ukraine, was the most difficult time in the lives of 67-year-old Kesar Singh and 58-year-old Prakash Kaur. 

Their 33-year-old son, who was shot multiple times as he was trying to escape the war-torn country, finally reached Delhi on a stretcher on Monday morning. “After reaching the hospital, he asked the doctor if he’ll be able to walk in five-six months because he wants to go back to Ukraine,” Mr. Kesar told The Hindu at his residence in Chhattarpur. Harjot, who was shot at least five times, is currently undergoing treatment at a city hospital where his recovery could take weeks, doctors have told the family. 

Mr. Kesar said that he and other family members told Harjot to return to India around February 15, as the war began looming over Ukraine, where Harjot had gone in July 2021, after leaving his well-paying job in Gurugram, to study a language course.

“When we asked him to come back, he said he has spoken to locals who told him that the situation was not going to escalate… it’s like our India-Pakistan relationship where there are always tensions but no real war… he kept consoling us,” Mr. Kesar said. 

On February 24, Harjot went to a mall close to his accommodation and bought groceries for the next 10 days, the family said. “He video-called us and said that he was buying groceries in case they aren’t able to step out of the house,” Mr. Kesar added.

Ms. Prakash said that around 9:30 p.m. on February 26, she and her husband received a call from Harjot informing them that he was leaving for the border. He told them that he would give them a call upon reaching his destination. 

“We didn’t get a call that night. And while we were worried for his safe arrival, we really started panicking on the morning of February 27 when there was still no word from him,” Ms. Prakash said.

Harjot’s sister Taranjeet, 32, and brother Prabhjot, 36, started scrolling Twitter and Facebook in an attempt to reach out to Harjot’s friends in Kyiv to find some information about their brother. 

“All day and all night, we tried reaching people but didn’t get any information on him. Some of his friends told us that his phone may have discharged and that there was no way of charging phones at the border,” Taranjeet said. 

“Both the parents are diabetic. In order to not let the situation impact their health, we kept reassuring them…but we were actually very scared,” Harjot’s sister added.

Then suddenly at around 12:30 a.m. on March 3, Prabhjot received a call from an unknown number. It was Harjot. “I am fine… I was shot… I am in a hospital… Don’t tell mom and dad, I’ll call in the morning,” he told his brother.

“Aur maata… kya haal hain? Khana khaya? (How are you, mom? Have you eaten?),” Harjot called and joked with his mother the next day, she said. She couldn’t stop crying upon hearing his voice.

On Monday evening, all the family members went to meet him at the airport. “The first question I asked him was to recognize me and call me by my nickname, when he said it my happiness knew no bounds,” recalled Taranjeet.

Recalling their son’s decision to go abroad to study, Mr. Kesar said Harjot felt that one gets “recognition after studying abroad”. Harjot had told his father, “Once you study from a university abroad, it gets easier to get good jobs in India.” Plus, the cost of education in Ukraine was much less than what it was in India, Harjot believed.

On Monday evening, when Harjot met his family, all he wanted to do was cry to his heart’s content, the family said, but the pain of his wounds didn’t allow him to do so.

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