Ukraine crisis: Karnataka CM receives mortal remains of Naveen at KIA

Naveen was killed in shelling by Russian armed forces in Kharkiv earlier this month

The mortal remains of Naveen S. Gyanagoudar, who was killed in shelling by Russian armed forces in Kharkiv earlier this month, was received by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on March 21.

Mr. Bommai, along with Minister for Health and Family Welfare K. Sudhakar, placed a wreath on the body and handed over Naveen’s passport and other documents to his family.

Speaking to reporters later, the Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the efforts towards bringing Naveen’s mortal remains to India from an active war zone. He said it took a lot of coordination with the countries neighbouring Ukraine to bring back Naveen’s mortal remains. “It is unfortunate and painful that parents who wanted their son to return after his medical education are instead receiving his mortal remains,” he said.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had contacted funeral agents and ensured embalming of the mortal remains. Though Kharkiv continues to endure shelling, the mortal remains were transported to Versova where it was given a zinc coating and sent to Dubai and later brought to Bengaluru. “I would like to thank Mr. Modi on behalf of all Kannadigas for this effort,” he said.

The MEA’s ‘Operation Ganga’ has been successful in bringing back students and others who were stuck in different parts of Ukraine after war broke out. Before ‘Operation Ganga’ was put in place, 62 students from Karnataka returned from Ukraine. It took three weeks for all Indian citizens, including 19,000 students, to be brought out of Ukraine under ‘Operation Ganga’. A total of 572 students from Karnataka had returned from Ukraine.

The Chief Minister’s office was in constant touch with Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar to ensure safe return of all students from Karnataka.  

The Karnataka Government has had a big role in this successful operation as it maintained sustained coordination to bring back its students through Delhi, Ghaziabad and Mumbai till all the students from the State reached their homes. Elaborating on the process, Mr. Bommai said, first a WhatsApp group was set up to establish contact with the students and they were counselled. Within 12 hours, a toll-free number was established to render assistance. State nodal officer Manoj Rajan was in constant touch with the Ukraine embassy.