Even Hindus Join BRYU In Gomel
By Alena Germanovich
Belorusskie Novosty
Students at the International Faculty at the Gomel State Medical University are joining the ranks of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRYU), a youth organization that has replaced the former Komsomol Union that ceased to exist after the USSR collapse.
Public Relations Dean at the University Victor Umanets said that 18 students from India and Sri Lanka have already joined the organisation. The Dean also said that the foreign students did it absolutely voluntarily.
“They read the State Youth Support Program and appreciated what the state is doing for people, and decided to get involved. Now our foreign Komsomol members participate in all the BRYU events. They made pretty Valentine’s cards with Belarusian and Indian symbols on as a way to express their love to our country. We will try and do our best to support these foreign students in studies first – they find learning the Russian language quite difficult,” said Umanets.
Student Patel Nirav Kumar at the International Faculty said that his fellow student from India, who went to a BRYU conference last year, encouraged him to join the Youth Union. “The leaders of the organisation spoke at the conference, our friend heard about the good works that the BRYU was doing, about wonderful plans, and that being a member of the Youth Union was very prestigious,” explained Patel Kumar.
The student also said that the BRYU enabled his fellow countrymen to promote their culture – sing national songs, dance and teach other students how to play cricket – a very popular game in India. Foreign students also participate in the healthy life-style programme; learn the Russian language, and famous sayings.
There are about 300 foreign students in Gomel Medical University. Most of them come from India, Syria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, and Lebanon. There are also some student from Nigeria, Nepal, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. “Foreign students come here because of relatively low cost of education if compared to the EU countries and other CIS states. Plus foreigners find it more secure here,” noted the University Dean.
There are promotional posters hung in the main University hall calling to choose Belarus for education and life – as a counter to Russia and Ukraine.
Writings on each poster say that every town in those countries has gangs of racists that would kill or beat you up. It also says that many towns in Ukraine are infested with cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis.