The one call does not mean there was no worry or ignorance of the insurrection. It is because many parents were communicating with their children, most of them not in Moscow but studying in universities in student towns a little away from Moscow. Today, WhatsApp, video calls, etc. mean channels of communication are much more accessible and zippier than before. What is most important is that there is an International Students Department which has students that are in touch with the Indian Embassy in Russia. The latter disseminates clear, concise information which is relayed to the International Students Centre, which acts as a bridge relaying official information to students studying there. The Embassy is extremely quick, clear, concise and proactive. Even for instance, when very heavy snowfall is expected, the Embassy will issue a heads up on its social media handles so that students are aware of the forecast. That is the level of alertness and response by the Embassy.

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I have to also commend the parents who did not panic seeing the screaming news channels. They awaited communication, so that shows patience borne out of belief in the message flow and credibility. On the day of the abortive uprising, we were waiting to see if the Embassy issues any special advisory for Indian students but there was none. In the end, the crisis seems to have defused as of now. We may not have seen the end of a rebellion or, we may have. I am not an expert and cannot comment on that, or what will happen next. There are a  plethora of reports analyzing the recent events and upheaval. All I can say is that impressively agile, on-the-ball  communication is proving to be an effective and trustworthy guide for Indian youngsters in Russia in these times tinged with uncertainty.
 
As told to Hemal Ashar

The columnist is founder-director EDURUSSIA (Admissions Department Russian Government Universities)