An immediate air mission to evacuate thousands of Indians stranded in the worst-hit COVID-19 countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is unlikely to happen soon with the Centre sticking to its stringent policy on travel restrictions and diplomatic relationships.
Among the GCC nations, both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait have agreed to evacuate Indians desperately waiting to return home. But the government did not prefer to operate flights until the existing outbreak of the disease subsides, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said.
With the 21-day lockdown having helped India to slow down the rate of infection of COVID-19 outbreak, the Centre will continue with its efforts such as sending medical personnel and equipment and relief assistance as was being done in Kuwait. The process is less easier said than done as the evacuees have to be either quarantined or hospitalised. No State, as of now, has such resources and all States have their limitations when they are fighting the pandemic.
At least 2,000 Indian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Sultanate of Oman have either been subjected to quarantine or treated for the virus disease. A total of 13,237 positive cases and 88 deaths were officially recorded in the GCC till Sunday.
About 85 lakh Indians reside in the GCC countries and over 30 lakh are in UAE, of which 8.5 lakh are from Kerala alone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already addressed Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners to remain alert to help Indian nationals abroad, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan told The Hindu.
He, however, declined to comment on the evacuation of Non-Resident Indians (NoRKs) as the issue was pending in the court. The court had to be apprised of the policy decision taken on evacuation of Indians and medical advisory on transportation, Mr. Muraleedharan said.
After the outbreak of COVID-19, the Indian missions in GCC have been asked to look into the well-being of the diaspora. But India would not meddle to disturb the existing diplomatic relationships with Gulf countries on multiple issues, apart from the strong bilateral economic relationship it maintains with all of these countries. Besides, air traffic would return to normalcy only by mid-May, the sources said.
Based on a petition moved by the Kerala Muslim Cultural Society, the Kerala High Court had sought the Centre to file a report on air-lifting the stranded Indians in the UAE. Similarly, M.K. Raghavan, Kozhikode MP, has also approached the Supreme Court seeking its intervention in bringing back the jobless people, pregnant women and those on visiting visas due to cancellation of flights and struck in the Gulf nations.
