With Saudi's new travel restrictions, stranded Indians in UAE awaits relief from their plights
Dubai: Awaiting relief from the government and authorities of India and Saudi Arabia, hundreds of Indians are stranded in Dubai after Saudi Arabia announced a temporary ban on non-citizens’ entry into the kingdom from 20 foreign countries.
Saudi Arabia announced the restriction after the kingdom witnessed a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. Saudi-bound Indians who were eager to finish their 14-day quarantine in Dubai in order to enter the country are now hit by uncertainty due to the sudden ban.
The passengers had arrived in UAE after the restrictions imposed by Saudi stated foreigners can't enter until they undergo a 14-day quarantine in any of the neighboring countries like UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, etc.
Ever since the imposition of the restriction, passengers are left high and dry in UAE with neither the Indian nor Saudi government authorities paying heed to their hues and cries. Most of the passengers who fall into the ‘blue-collar employees’ are now running out of finances and resources to afford an extended stay in Dubai.
PA Hameed, an advocate and social worker in Riyadh, has written a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking his intervention and has also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in multiple tweets to bring the issue to his notice.
The letter says those stranded include families, children, and pregnant women. "Some Indian residents in Saudi Arabia who traveled to Dubai a couple of days back to fetch their families and relatives are also stranded due to the sudden development. All of them are in a hapless situation and are pleading for immediate help from the Indian government," it said.
Recently, both Indian Embassies in UAE & Saudi Arabia issued an advisory to the people stranded in Dubai to return back to India. Hameed said the move was unexpected and unusual, asking people to go back to India is the last thing the government should be doing. The embassy should try and come with a plan and diplomatic dialogue insisting the Saudi authorities to allow these stranded Indians into the kingdom.
“"I request the Government of India & other concerned authorities to look into this issue immediately & to facilitate them to be landed in Saudi Arabia by effecting diplomatic consultations with the Saudi Arabian Government in this regard,” he said.
Several passengers who are stranded in UAE have called for help adding that they have run out of money for an extended stay. Many of them have also added that they had to resort to taking loans to facilitate their journey to Saudi Arabia via Dubai for quarantine and now they’re left with uncertainty as there is no guarantee when Saudi will lift the temporary ban.
“We can only hope that the Indian government bails us out from the crisis” one of the stranded passengers Sufyan who hails from Mangaluru said.
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Bantwal: Ex-soldier dies after casting vote at home
Bantwal, Apr 24: Madhava Prabhu, an 85-year-old resident of Wagga in Bantwal, exemplified unwavering commitment to his civic duty even in the face of illness.
Admitted to a private hospital here owing to his ailment, Prabhu, a former army officer and inspector of Malaria Eradication department, died without responding to treatment on Wednesday.
Amidst his illness, Prabhu was determined to exercise his right to vote, especially with the provision for home voting for those aged 85 and above.
With the doctor's permission, he left the hospital briefly to fulfil his sacred duty on Tuesday. However, fate had a cruel twist in store as Prabhu's condition worsened upon his return to the hospital.
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Tragically, he passed away today, leaving behind his wife, two daughters, and sons.
Prabhu's life epitomizes dedication and service, from his tenure in the army to his role in the Malaria Eradication Department and his involvement in community affairs as vice president of the Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society.
His commitment to duty and his final act of voting serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of civic engagement, even in the most challenging circumstances.
