Indigo crisis: Turbulence hits dreams of Gulf job aspirants in M’luru; interviews shifted to Mumbai
Mangaluru: The Indigo chaos has throwed several gulf job aspirants from the city into a tailspin. Sources close to VB have also confirmed that the interviews scheduled where shifted to Mumbai, at the last minute.
Indigo runs highest number of services from Mangaluru airport, connecting various parts of the country to the maximum extent, and major gulf nations, direct or connecting. Meanwhile, after wider cancellations across the country, several aircrafts are stranded at airports across the country.
Official sources confirmed that eight IndiGo flights have been cancelled daily at Mangaluru airport between December 8 and 11.
ALSO READ: Govt to take strict action against IndiGo to 'set example'; airline adds flights after disruptions
The coastal region has seen a surge in the number of people heading to Gulf countries in search of employment, often through agencies that offer relatively low-paying placements. When rare opportunities for better-paying jobs arise, job seekers depend heavily on timely interviews.
However, due to IndiGo flight cancellations, several agencies have been forced to shift interview venues from Mangaluru to Mumbai, giving candidates just two days’ notice.
“It’s difficult to attend interviews in such a situation,” said Imran, a job aspirant from Thumbay. “Flight tickets are too expensive now, and even train and bus tickets are hard to get,” he told Vartha Bharathi.
Another aspirant Faizal echoed the same, he said, “It has been a week since the flight chaos started. If agencies change the interview location now, how are we supposed to travel? This is a precarious situation.”
Meanwhile, Recruiters are also bearing the brunt. Galiana of Suhana Travels, Mangaluru, said, “One of our managers attended an interview in Delhi three days ago. The next day, he had another scheduled in Mumbai. But when he reached the airport, the flight was cancelled. He had to take a train at the last minute and somehow made it.”
Sources also said that the disruptions have caused poor turnout at interviews, forcing some agencies to cancel or reschedule sessions.
A staffer from As Max Travel Agency, located near the State Bank of India in Mangaluru, said an interview planned for December 9 had to be altered after the Gulf company representative, who had booked an IndiGo flight, could not travel due to cancellations.
“We informed shortlisted candidates at the last minute to come to Mumbai instead. But many said they would not be able to make the trip,” the staffer said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India submits nomination of Meghalaya's living root bridges for UNESCO World Heritage site
Shillong (PTI): India has submitted to UNESCO in Paris the nomination dossier of Meghalaya's living root bridges for consideration to include in the World Heritage list 2026-27, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Thursday.
The dossier was handed over by India's Ambassador Vishal V Sharma to UNESCO's World Heritage Centre Director Lazare Assomo Eloundou, a statement said.
"We are hopeful that the living root bridges will be inscribed this year, ensuring that the indigenous communities, the true guardians of this living heritage, receive the global recognition they so richly deserve," Sangma said on X.
While submitting the dossier, Sharma, the Permanent Representative to UNESCO, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the Meghalaya CM for their support to the nomination, the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO said in a statement.
Sharma also acknowledged the role of Meghalaya Principal Secretary Frederick Kharkongor, officers of the Archaeological Survey of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, experts and the local communities in safeguarding the property and preparing the nomination.
Located across the southern slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills of the northeastern state, the nominated property represents a living cultural landscape shaped over centuries by indigenous Khasi and Jaintia communities.
"The landscape reflects a deep-rooted and harmonious relationship between people, nature and spirituality, embodied in traditional systems of land use, governance and ecological stewardship," the statement said.
The indigenous worldview underpinning the cultural landscape is anchored in principles of respect, reciprocity and responsibility towards Mei Ramew (Mother Earth), it said.
"The submission of this nomination underscores India's commitment to recognising and preserving living cultural traditions and indigenous knowledge systems, and to advancing global heritage conservation efforts through UNESCO," the statement added.
