The government of India has added 141 more flights to West Asian countries for the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission, its massive repatriation programme for citizens stranded overseas because of Covid-19-related travel restrictions.
The second phase was to end on May 22. However, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the ongoing phase will last till June 13 and that India is looking at making Frankfurt a hub for the mission.
With these new flights, more than half of them to the United Arab Emirates, the total number of flights in the second phase of the programme have gone up to more than 400, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity.
The flights were added due to increased demand from citizens stranded in West Asian countries and the availability of adequate quarantine facilities in states for the returning Indians, the people said. As with all the flights operated so far under Vande Bharat Mission, priority will be given in the second phase to Indian nationals with compelling reasons for returning to the country, they added.
The additional flights are from the UAE (81 flights), Oman and Saudi Arabia (15 flights each), Kuwait (14 flights), Qatar (11 flights) and Bahrain (five flights).
A majority of the flights are bound for Kerala (84 flights), while the other destinations are Delhi (10 flights), Tamil Nadu (nine flights), Telangana (six flights) Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir (five flights each), Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (four flights each), Punjab (three flights), Odisha and West Bengal (two flights each), Chandigarh, Karnataka and Goa (one flight each).
The other 260-odd flights being operated during the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission are from Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tajikistan, the UK, Ukraine and the US.
The second phase of the repatriation programme began on May 16 and will continue till June 13, with all the flights being operated by state-run Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express. Private airlines are likely to be included in the third phase.
As of Thursday, a total of 23,475 Indians have been repatriated under Vande Bharat Mission. The second phase had included new destinations such as Istanbul, Ho Chi Minh City and Lagos, and had increased flights to the US and Europe.
More than 259,000 Indians in 98 countries across the world have registered to return under Vande Bharat Mission. Most of them are workers (28%), students (25%), professionals (14.5%), and short-term visa holders such as tourists (7.6%). Fishermen, deportees and Indian nationals who benefited from visa amnesties have also registered.
Over 200 Dalit families near Vedaranyam claim to have been banned from participating in the temple festival, while 35 Dalit families in Karur complai that they were barred from even entering the local Mahasakhthi Amman temple. They claim that the temple was built using their contributions.
Comments
Masha Allah
Majority of Indian population are dalit, If 70% of dalits convert to Islam in India.Islam will become the number one in India.
Any individuals while choosing religion, he will go for the best religion.
Finally he will find Islam, because Islam is the best and easy to follow religion.
Accepting any religion means, agreeing its doctrine and following its teaching.
It has come to from the heart. Nobody can force to follow any religion nor can force to change it.
It comes from his inner conscience, what he or she feels comfortable.
We may force somebody to remain in the same religion or we can force also to change into any religion, which is like asking someone to agree and believe 2+2=3. Even if a person agrees to come under pressure, it means, he is not following its teaching by will and wish. So he can definitely violate and disobey its teaching.
Now coming into this case, first of all they are not comfortable what their fellow followers did them to ban the entry into temple. And no equality in their society. This is the main reason
Now choosing new religion is purely understanding and convincing its doctrine and real teaching.
Our constitution also empowers everyone to follow freely any religion. Not only this, it also empowers to propagate to others.
It is a great constitution.
Guide them properly OR Leave them alone.
Accepting any religion means, agreeing its doctrine and following its teaching.
It has come to from the heart. Nobody can force to follow any religion nor can force to change it.
It comes from his inner conscience, what he or she feels comfortable.
We may force somebody to remain in the same religion or we can force also to change into any religion, which is like asking someone to agree and believe 2+2=3. Even if a person agrees to come under pressure, it means, he is not following its teaching by will and wish. So he can definitely violate and disobey its teaching.
Now coming into this case, first of all they are not comfortable what their fellow followers did them to ban the entry into temple. And no equality in their society. This is the main reason
Now choosing new religion is purely understanding and convincing its doctrine and real teaching.
Our constitution also empowers everyone to follow freely any religion. Not only this, it also empowers to propagate to others.
It is a great constitution.
Guide them properly OR Leave them alone.
Welcome brothers and sisters ....Proud to be MUSLIMS
Islam invites people who learn about it and understand it. not to increase numbers....no need to convert just because they are not allowed in temples, they can follow their faith even from their hearts.
@ venki
Islam does not allow forced conversion.....we invite to the path of Islam. If someone wills then only..moreover we are not minorities in the world like you.....
@yogesh..
i think the people already know better to join islam than supporting RSS Terrorrists right....
Hari, nothing is impossible in this world, for that you need good heart and mind which I cannot see it in those so called hindutva group....they are all still remaining in their old and orthodox thinking. As a matter of fact there is no such a thing called upper and lower cast in the society but it has been created by bloody brahmins for their benefits...
Venke, Sangeeth .....if you feel that one can pray at home, then why you people are fighting for Ayodhya temple.... Beef exporting hypocrites....
If they convert to Islam....there they get all types of respect, which they have not seen and imagined in their entire past life...great religion......nice choice....well come guys....
Sangeeth Manglore
Yeah... they can pray anywhere as they are considered born out of feet.. Only those born out of Gods head, needed rich temples to pray and enjoy public wealth. Opportunistic
Hindutva group will do nothing if Dalits convert to Jainism, Buddhism but, as soon as Dalits want to convert to Islam or Christianity, Saffronist will come into action with some stupid solution
The best solution is as mention by Mr Rikaz, that all the Dalits must get BRAHMIN STATUS then all the discrimination may end.
Good that hindutava group is taking initiative......they should upgrade their status from lower caste (dalit) to upper caste (Brahmin) This is only the amicable solution for this problem, otherwise this problem (ill treating dalit) will recur every now and then.
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