Tragedy has fallen over a remote Indian village called Poshwan in South Kashmir’s Awantipora area in Pulwama District after a family got the news that their son, Azad Yousuf Kumar, 31, had been injured in the Russia-Ukraine war. The family alleges that Azad has been forcibly taken to fight in the ongoing war.
Mohammad Yousuf Kumar, Azad’s father, has alleged that a YouTuber named “Baba Vlogs” which is operated by a consultant named Faisal Khan, based in Dubai lured his son, Azad into fraudulent job recruitment. According to him, he was taken to the Middle East on the pretext of a job but ended up in Russia as a mercenary for the Russian army in Ukraine.
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The family alleges that Azad has been hit by a bullet in his leg recently. The whole village is worried for Azad’s wellbeing and has asked the government to look into the fraudulent recruitment scheme which has led to Azad being trapped in Russia and forcibly deployed in the army without his consent.
According to the family members, Azad was offered a job as a cleaner and cook in the Middle East and on his arrival at Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) he was later sent to Moscow, Russia.
He was made to sign agreements written in Russian, a language he did not understand and handed over to the Russian Army, where they underwent a 15-day training before being deployed to the Ukraine border. Now the family says only Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi can help them bring back their son.
“He was lured by a YouTube channel blogger by the name of ‘Baba Vlogs’’. He was told that he has to come to Mumbai first and then will get a job in the Middle East. They took his phone in Dubai and sent him to Russia. In Russia, he was recruited in the Russian Army. We lost complete contact with him for over three weeks and finally managed to get in touch with him. He was forced to join the Russian army; he had no idea that he was taken there. He was told that it will be a kitchen helper’s job. It’s been three months since he was there. I request PM Modi to help us and get our child back. Our tears have dried up now,”’ said Azad’s father.
The Azad’s father has provided documentation of the agreement in Russia, his number, pictures and the current location.
Meanwhile, another Kashmiri, Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of the Hajinar Tangdar area of Kupwara in North Kashmir has been missing in Russia as well. He was taken to Russia in December 2023 and since then there has been no contact with him. A picture of him has gone viral on social media where he could be seen with other Indians while wearing a combat uniform.
Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has written to India’s Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, met LG Manoj Sinha and also spoken to the joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs regarding Azad’s case and his return to India.
“Two people from Kashmir Valley are stranded in Russia at the moment. One is Azad Kumar, belonging to Awantipora area of District Pulwama. He was taken by a fraudulent recruitment company. He was taken by Faisal Khan who runs a Vlog. He had promised him a job of cleaning. Upon his arrival in Russia, he was asked to sign documentation in Russian language which he had no idea about. He was given training for 15 days and was injured and he has spoken to his family and another person is from North Kashmir. He was doing a job in Chandigarh; he was taken to Russia in December and since some days he is missing. We have written to the Ministry of External Affairs, we have spoken to LG Manoj Sinha and Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. We have demanded that both of them are repatriated as soon as possible,” said Omar Jamal, National General Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association.
All the Indians who are stranded at the Russia-Ukraine borders have appealed to the Government of India for assistance and their safe return. In the meantime, the families of these men have also requested the government to look into these fraudulent recruitment companies taking Indians on the pretext of jobs to warzones.
