Ex-Kalimpong Army Men "Tricked" Into Joining The Russian Army

KALIMPONG: In a video message, a 47-year-old Kalimpong resident who claims he was duped into joining the Russian army is pleading with the government to save him before sending him to fight in Ukraine.

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Gorkha youth tricked into Russian Army recruitment

In the three-minute video, Urgen Tamang, a resident of Chibo-Purbung in Kalimpong, speaks in Hindi and accuses recruitment "agents" of tricking him into joining the Russian Army against his will after they convinced him of job opportunities as a security guard
abroad. He claims he is now obliged to fight the ongoing war against Ukraine.

In the video, Tamang said he was told the job was for a security guard position in Moscow, Russia, but that he was misled by agents about the nature of the position. He had arrived in Moscow on January 19 of this year, where he was met by a Nepali/Gorkha person who then put him up for the night in a hotel.

He spent the night with a group of Tamil agents after being sent there the following day. After that, he was billeted in a hotel for roughly ten days before being sent to an army camp.

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"I was brought to the army camp for about eighteen days of regular training. I was asked to sign a bond there.

His 44-year-old wife, Ambika Tamang, told the media that she hasn't spoken to her husband since March 22. Tamang had mentioned in the last communication that the Russians were taking them out of the camp.

Russian job migration uncertainty

"I'm not sure which camp he meant, or if he meant the army camp or the jungle camp. There, he is by himself and unable to even understand the language. "I'm not sure what to do," Ambika uttered.

Ambika responded, "Her husband doesn't talk much, and he didn't tell her about his Russian relocation in detail," when asked how he ended up in that circumstance.

"He informed me that his goal is to work overseas. He remained silent. He had made all the arrangements and spent a few days at home over the winter. Even when he was at home, he was rushing around organising paperwork and other things," Ambika remarked. By January 19, he had taken a plane to Delhi and then had arrived in Russia.

An Indian ex-army man was duped into the Ukraine war

Tamang, a former havildar in the Indian Army, had been employed as a security guard for a private company in Gujarat until just recently.
The family was surprised that Tamang was tricked by the agents into fighting in the war in Ukraine.
"I'm doing everything in my power to draw the authorities' attention to this matter. Hopefully, the government will take action," she uttered. The two young daughters of the couple.

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Indian citizen missing in Russia  

The Darjeeling Member of Parliament, Raju Bista, also issued a press release claiming to have spoken with the Indian Embassy in Russia as well as the Ministry of External Affairs.

"I have contacted the highest office in our country, our External Affairs department, the Indian Embassy in Russia, and all other pertinent authorities. I'm doing everything in my power to ensure his safe return to his family. I really hope that we can pull this off," Bista stated in the statement.

Conclusion

The case of the ex-Kalimpong army man duped into joining the Russian army serves as both a warning and a lesson. While Tamang is safely back with his family, many others remain trapped. This incident highlights the urgent need for strict action against fake recruiters, stronger overseas job monitoring, and international cooperation to prevent Indians from being dragged into conflicts that are not their own.

For the people of Kalimpong and beyond, Tamang’s story is not just breaking news—it is a stark reminder of how vulnerable individuals can be misled into war under the pretext of employment.