Ambika Tamang was never sold on her husband Urgen Tamang's plan to move to Russia for a better-paying job amid the country's war on Ukraine. But she could not do much given his insistence, and bid a rushed goodbye to him on January 18 this year.
It was needed for our family, Ambika, 44, told Al Jazeera at her home in Kalimpong, a picturesque town in eastern India's West Bengal state. Our daughters' upbringing needed that money.
Urgen had been working as a private security guard in the western state of Gujarat, about 2,270km (1,410 miles) away from home. It was this need that made him move to Russia, Ambika said, after paying an agent $7,180 from the family's savings.
Urgen had never been to a foreign land before. Two weeks in, he found himself on the bloody front lines of Russia's continuing war on Ukraine. The Tamang family felt duped.
Like the Tamangs, nearly 50 Indian families are in limbo after their relatives were duped into fighting for Russia on the front lines with Ukraine. At least four such recruits have died while hopes of the safe return of others had remained feeble. Until now.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to Moscow since the war broke out more than two years ago looks set to secure the release of dozens of men, who were duped by agents offering jobs and allegedly recruited by the Russian military.
Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin for dinner on Monday night and is reported to have raised the issue of the return of Indians fighting in Russia with him.
He never wanted to do this. This is not our war, Ambika told Al Jazeera. I fear for his safe return.
The families, hailing from various parts of India, had their loved ones lured with promises of lucrative jobs in Russia, only to find them embroiled in the bloody conflict. As the families await their safe return, they are pinning their hopes on Modi's diplomatic efforts to bring their men back home.
The plight of these Indian nationals caught in the Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the vulnerabilities of migrant workers and the need for stronger safeguards against such exploitation. With Modi's intervention, the families hope to finally reunite with their loved ones and put an end to their agonizing wait.
