Bhatkal activists help eight stranded Indians fly back to India after months of struggle
One of the stranded workers belonged to UP CM's Gorakhpur constituency
Dubai, UAE: Community volunteers from Bhatkal have grabbed headlines in UAE after they reached out to eight Indian workers stranded in the UAE for several months to repatriate them to India.
The community volunteers Shirali Muzaffer Shaikh, Afzal SM, Sarfaraz Jukaku, and Hidayath Addoor swung into action when a Khaleej Times reported the plight of the stranded workers on June 16. They collaborated with the Consulate General of India Dubai and arranged for a swift repatriation of the workers.
Muzaffer Shaikh is from the AIM India Forum, a platform that supports stranded Indian nationals. Hidayath Adoor is convenor of the International Kannadiga’s Federation.
Khaleej Times had reported the workers were spotted on a street in Sharjah seeking food, shelter, and assistance. According to the Khaleej Times report, the workers who hailed from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh were duped by an agent who charged them Dh 5,000 promising them jobs in the UAE. One of the stranded workers belonged to UP CM's Gorakhpur constituency.
The stranded workers have been identified as Vijaee N (Parsav, Uttar Pradesh), Ramagya Saini (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh), Pramod Kumar (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh), Mohammed Naseem (Bihar), Adya Prasad ( Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh) Sree Chandra (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh), Raijullah Devan (Bihar), Pradeep Gupta (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh)
When the workers reached UAE in March, they were left out in the cold, unable to look for new jobs or even return to India as their passports were not with them.
The volunteers reported the issue to the police with the help of authorities at the CGI and arranged the necessary travel documents, immigration clearance, and PCR tests. The ticket fares for the workers were arranged by the Indian consulate.
Hidayath Adoor arranged for the food and shelter for the workers for two months while Muzaffer, Afzal, and Sarfaraz helped them get their white passports.
CGI arranged their travel on July 2 to New Delhi from where they will be taken to their natives.
The workers breathe a sigh of relief when they finally boarded a flight to India on July 2 and expressed their gratitude to the Indian embassy and the social workers who also accompanied them to the airport.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
