Terming the situation in Iran and Italy as “extreme” due to coronavirus, the Government on Wednesday said it is focusing on bringing back those stranded Indian citizens who test negative. Giving this information in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said a medical team from India will leave for Italy on Thursday for screening the Indians there.
Giving this assurance to the elders after they expressed concern over the plight of Indians, including students, pilgrims and fishermen, the Minister said the situation in Italy and Iran is “a cause of great concern” and the Government is making all efforts to bring back Indians after appropriate testing and screening. The entire House lauded the efforts of the Government in reaching out to the Indians in those two countries.
Making a suo moto statement, Jaishankar said Iran and Italy have an “extreme” situation and the Government is “focusing on those countries where coronavirus is strong.” He also said the two countries are under stress due to pandemic and are doing their best.
Noting that the disease has spread to about 90 countries, Jaishankar said if the Government starts the process of bringing back Indians worldwide, then it will be only add to the panic.
Elaborating upon this aspect, he said India only intervened in Wuhan, China and brought back Indians. Similarly, the fishermen from various parts of India now in Iran were relatively safe as the pandemic was not prevalent there. However, the Government will make all arrangements including food and water to the fishermen stranded there, Jaishankar said after several MPs raised the issue.
He informed the House that over 6,000 Indian nationals in various provinces of Iran are stranded which includes about 1,100 pilgrims mainly from the union territories of Ladakh and Jammu&Kashmir and Maharashtra.
The Minister said there are nearly 300 students primarily from J&K, about 1,000 fishermen mainly from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, and others who are on longer term stay in Iran for pursuing their livelihood and religious studies.
Jaishankar said the Government will first focus on bringing pilgrims to India from Iran and then students. He pointed out that infrastructure situation in Iran is stretched. He said 58 Indian pilgrims have already come back from Iran and have tested negative for coronavirus. As many as 529 samples have been collected in the second batch and whosoever tests negative will be brought back in the next flight, he added.
On Italy, he said the Government will hopefully send a medical team for carrying out testing facilities for Indians stranded there like it was done in the case of Iran.
“The situation in Italy is now emerging as a cause of great concern,” Jaishankar said.