Lack of cooperation delays evacuation

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 6

India’s first phase of evacuation operation to be launched from Thursday with two naval ships and 64 flights spread over one week has come as a ray of hope for the lakhs stranded around the world. But many more could have returned home but for the absence of cooperation between countries, said sources.

The Ministry of External Affairs’ directives to pay the full fare in advance has not gone down well with a section of the media though officially it has been said that the purpose of charging passengers is to ensure that only deserving cases take the flight back home.

Although videoconferences by international and regional organisations – UN, WHO, G-20, BRICS, NAM – underlined the need for cooperation during the epidemic, sources said many stranded Indians would have returned more than a month back had there been an understanding between the respective civil aviation authorities.

For instance, Israel sent half a dozen flights since March 21 to evacuate its nationals. Sources said besides its national carrier El Al, Israel also took the services of Air India. But no stranded Indian has returned from Israel from any of these flights. Given India’s modest beginning with phase one of evacuation, it may be a while before anyone of them returns.

Similarly the US has sent two dozen flights to India with none of them bringing back stranded Indians. Germany, Britain, Canada and Russia, all have substantial numbers wanting to return to India, have had to wait it out.