Plea for peace

This is an appeal to President Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine and accept the suggestion of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to have a one-to-one meeting to sort out issues. Over a million Ukrainians, principally women and children, have fled their homes and their country. The sons and husbands of the Ukrainian women refugees have stayed in the country to fight the war.

The refugees are now seeking shelter in unknown homes and locations in Europe. They are at the mercy of others. They are without their homes, money and families. If the war can be halted, then these families can reunite. They can live together again. The war will leave permanent scars on the minds and souls of the small children, who are moving countries and camps.

Whilst the exact number of casualties on both the sides are not yet known, they would be running into thousands. Young men in both the armies are losing their lives. They will leave families and responsibilities behind them. Soldiers on both sides could be maimed or handicapped for life in these bloody battles. So, if there is a way to save the lives of solders in both countries, through a dialogue between the leaders, then it should be pursued.

The Russian missiles are striking at the military positions in Ukraine. They are also hitting nuclear power stations, residential buildings, hospitals and schools. Ukraine’s infrastructure, built over centuries, is being shattered. It takes years to build an elegant church or a hospital. It takes a missile a few seconds to reduce it to rubble. Mr President, let us preserve what our forefathers have built. Let us not destroy lives, buildings and infrastructure, created with time, patience and talent.

So, thus is an urgent request to you, Mr President, please find an alternate solution by talking to the President of Ukraine. Let us avoid the killing of innocent soldiers, creation of women and child refugees and destruction of cities.

Rajendra Aneja,

Mumbai, India