Adopting a “pro-active” approach, Indian diplomats are meeting Indians in Iraq and “convincing” them to leave the country at the earliest. Though majority of the Indians are in non-conflict zone, the Government does not want to take a chance given the fragile security scenario in the country. Despite violence being limited to only a few areas in Iraq, Indian officials feel it will be easier to leave the country when roads and airports are still open than when they get blocked.
A batch of 94 Indians from Najaf, Karbala and Baghdad left for India on Monday while 600 more are scheduled to leave the country in the next few days from these cities. Nearly 230 Indians will be taken out from Karbala in the next two to three days, 61 from Najaf, 50 from Nasaria and 8 from Baghadad. India has also managed the release of six Indians serving under judicial custody in Basra.
“We are at a facilitation phase, asking Indians to leave their places of work and come back using available means of transportation as of now. At this stage, we are working through available means, and if those means are not adequate, if we require other national assets, we will not hesitate to use them,” said Syed Akbarruddin, MEA spokesperson. Besides, three ships of the Indian Navy, and two heavy lift transport carriers of India Air Force, and three Boeings of national carrier Air India are also on standby.
Indian officials maintained they are making efforts for the release of the 39 kidnapped Indian construction workers in Mosul. The MEA official said that the 46 nurses in Tirkit are being provided adequate resources and will be evacuated when situation eases out in that area.
According to Akbarruddin, special mobile teams are reaching out to the residences of Indians in Najaf, Karbala, Basra and Baghdad advising them to leave the country. Officials are also helping them with paperwork and ticketing, funding for which will be done by the Indian government. The Indian officials in Iraq are also looking at the contractual obligations and visa issues of the Indian workers to ensure their early departure.
“The mobile teams were authorised by the External Affairs Minister to contact Indian nationals in their places of residence to advice them that in accordance with two advisories we have sent, it is best that they leave places of work and return to India,” Akbarruddin said.