Ukrainian woman in Kashmir prays for her family

It's not only in Ukraine and Russia where people are praying for the safety of their families. In a small village in the Traal area of Pulwama, a Ukraine-born girl, Oliesa Mazur, is doing special prayers day and night for her family stuck in Ukraine. 

Oliesa Mazur, who is married to a Kashmiri businessman in a small village named Mandur, was living a happy life with her husband and two kids for the last eight years. But for the last two weeks, she has been spending sleepless nights worrying for her family which lives in Ukraine. 

Olesia has been having horrifying days for the last two weeks since the war broke between Russia and Ukraine. She is worried about her parents and 90 years old grandmother who are in Ukraine. She calls her parents every hour to know about their wellbeing. 

Every news that breaks about the war makes her more frightened and since Russian troops advance to capture Kiev, Ukraine's capital city. She got more worried as her parents live 300 km away from the capital. She is very angry and upset about what Russia has done and is doing.

"I have anger and worry which has made my life miserable nowadays,  anger about what 

Russia did and worried about my parents. My parents are older than 60 and my grandmother is around 90. They are stuck. They can't move out because of their health and age. What will they do if war became more horrifying? I feel so helpless I can't do anything for them,”  Olesia said.

Mother of two kids, Oliesa is appealing Russian people to feel the pain of Ukraine mothers who are loosing there young ones. War is no solution, it's peace that is the need of the hour. She also appeals to the Russian President to stop the war as it's he who attacked Ukraine.

"I ask everybody who is listing me please help to stop the war between Ukraine and Russia. I ask everybody to please help us to save our democracy and help us to bring peace back to our country." She added, “I wish to tell simple Russian people, please don't remain quiet, go to the streets and tell your government to stop this war to kill your sons our sons your kids our kids, war is no solution it should be peace everywhere in world."

Olesia hopes super powers and India will put enough pressure on Russia to stop the war. She appeals that PM Modi should not support Russia, but should help Ukraine.

"I appeal to PM Modi and the Indian government that please don't support the killings of Ukraine people and kids if you can please help the Ukrainian to finish this fight as soon as possible. Sometimes human life is much more important than money," she said. 

The 35-year-old Ukrainian lady praises Ukrainian people for their love towards their motherland. Oleisa is feeling proud of her country men the way they are fighting back Russia.

She said, "Ukrainian people, they are ready for fighting, they are fighting so bravely, I feel proud that I am Ukrainian."

She got married to Bilal Ahmad Bhat whom she met in Goa eight years ago when she and her mother had come for a tour. Bilal was doing Kashmiri craft business there and both met and fell in love and decided to live life together and finally with consent of her mother got married in Goa. “It was Oleisa’s decision to live in Kashmir. She prefers Kashmir more than Ukraine or Goa," Bilal said.

Oleisa hopes that all the superpowers of the world including India will put enough pressure on Russia to stop the war and she will visit her parents and a happy reunion will happen.