CCS expresses concern over safety of Indian nationals
NEW DELHI, Mar 2: Amid escalating West Asia tensions, the Centre on Monday said it is in touch with Indian missions in the Gulf region to ensure safe return of stranded Indian nationals as state governments across the country stepped up efforts to assist such residents.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which met last evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has expressed concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the Gulf nations.
The CCS also directed all concerned departments to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments.
On Monday, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Centre is fully prepared to bring back Indians stranded in the Gulf region and is in touch with Indian missions abroad to ensure their safety.
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In a statement, Joshi said discussions have been held with senior officials of the concerned embassies to facilitate the safe return of those affected by the war situation.
“Whenever Kannadigas and other Indians face distress anywhere in the world, the Central Government has ensured their safe return. Earlier, we brought back those stranded in Ukraine. Wherever Indians are, their safety remains our first priority,” he said.
Reassuring anxious families, the minister said there was no need to panic and that the government is committed to bringing back all Indians safely.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate evacuation preparedness, enhance diplomatic outreach and establish an inter-ministerial mechanism to protect Kannadigas and other Indians stuck in the region due to disruption of flight operations to and from West Asia after the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.
In a letter to PM Modi, Siddaramaiah said a large number of Kannadigas and other Indian nationals have been stranded, particularly in major transit hubs such as the UAE, including Dubai.
In Andhra Pradesh, NRI Empowerment and Relations Minister K Srinivas said the state government is taking urgent measures to safely bring back Telugu citizens stranded in the Gulf region.
The minister called on Telugu expatriates in the Gulf to make use of the helplines launched for their assistance.
“We are taking measures to safely bring back the Telugu people stuck in the Gulf nations to the state (Andhra Pradesh) against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Iran,” Srinivas said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Government on Monday set up a control room at the Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi to assist residents of the state living in crisis-hit West Asia and their family members back home.
In Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a round-the-clock helpline to assist Punjabis stranded in affected countries following the joint Israel-US attack on Iran, assuring them all possible help.
“The state government is constantly in touch with the Government of India to ensure the safe and prompt return of those stuck. Due to the conflicts in Arab countries, many Punjabis in these nations are facing serious difficulties. The Punjab government has set up a helpline,” he said.
In Uttar Pradesh, police said several people from Amethi, including four students, are stranded in Iran.
They are all residents of Bhanauli village under the Musafirkhana area of the district, they said.
In Himachal Pradesh, Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said there has been no harm to any Himachali stranded in the Middle East and asserted that everyone wishing to return would be brought safely once flights resume.
The state home secretary is in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union home secretary, Chauhan said.
“As of now, the exact number of people from the state stranded in the Middle East is not available, but the stranded people are in touch with their family members,” he said.
Meanwhile, an official statement said the CCS met to review the evolving situation in West Asia, and the meeting was briefed on the air strikes in Iran on February 18 and the subsequent escalation, including attacks in several Gulf countries.
“It (CCS) expressed serious concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the region,” the statement said.
The CCS also reviewed the difficulties faced by Indian travellers transiting the region and students appearing for scheduled examinations, as well as the broader implications for regional security and economic and commercial activities.
“The CCS directed all concerned departments to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments. It underscored the importance of an early cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy,” the statement said.
The CCS meeting has been convened to take stock of the situation emerging in the wake of the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the meeting.
The CCS meeting was also attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Principal Secretaries to the Prime Minister P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
There are around 10,000 Indian citizens who live, study and work in Iran, while over 40,000 live in Israel. The number of Indians who live in the Gulf and West Asia is about 9 million. (PTI)
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