Indian evacuees from Yemen return, face more problems

Mumbai (PTI) - A harried group of 22 nurses and
three children evacuated from strife-torn Yemen by Indian
embassy in Sanaa was in for more trouble when they landed at
the western Indian city airport here and have blamed officials
of the mission and the customs department for their plight.
The hapless passengers, all hailing from Kerala, had
landed in Mumbai at 1600 hrs (IST) Monday but they alleged
Tuesday that the callous attitude of customs officials made
them miss their scheduled 1730 (IST) AI flight to Kochi.
Since the Indian embassy officials apparently did not
intimate their late arrival to the Indian External Affairs
Ministry in New Delhi or to the Kerala House here, the
passengers, including three children aged 2-7, were forced to
fend for themselves.
Jokose Panicker, development officer at Norka, which
is the Kerala government department looking after the affairs
of the non-resident Keralites, told PTI that he did not get
any intimation from the Embassy or from Air India.
"Ironically the embassy officials did not intimate us
about their late arrival or to the ministry in Delhi. We have
been waiting for their arrival for the past 18 days," Panicker
said.
"I came to know about their plight from a Malayalam
news channel late Monday night and I immediately reached
the airport and arranged for food and other basic facilities,"
Panicker said, adding, "there would not have been any problem
had the embassy officials intimated us about their arrival."
While customs officials could not be contacted for
their response, an Air India spokesperson said the airline was
not aware of any such development. "I would enquire about it.
As of now, I am not told of any such development. Normally we
are very sensitive to the evacuees," the spokesperson said.
As the political violence escalated in Yemen Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh had on June 2 said the situation
in the Arab state was worrisome and that there was a need to
evacuate Indians from there. Since then evacuation had
started.
"We arrived on a Yemenese flight at 1600 hrs Monday
and were supposed to take a 1745 hrs Air India flight to
Kochi. We begged the customs officials to help take us to the
AIcounter fast but they just did not care," Jiun John from
Thodupuzha in Idudkki district said.
"Had the customs officials and Air India were more
sensitive we could have managed to get back to our homes
Monday itself. They shuttled us between the international
and domestic terminals like a foot fall and finally when we
reached the AI counter, it was too late and AI refused our
pleas to take us on board.
"It was only after the Norka official intervened, AI
agreed to reissue tickets to us for today evening," Sherryn
Baby hailing from south Indian state Kerala's Idudkki district
said.
"We had to spend the last night without food and
water, as we could not afford the costly food from inside the
airport. Also, the immigration authorities did not allow us to
go out to fetch food. We were forced to sleep on the floor
last night," Jinu alleged.
Though finally, Norka managed to fly six of these
passengers this morning, there was more problem in store for
them as the scheduled 0600 am Kingfisher flight got cancelled.
Finally they were flown on a SpiceJet flight at 0830 to Kochi,
the official said, adding "the remaining 19 would be flown by
a 1730 Air India flight to Kochi."