The decision of the Indian government to ease the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions imposed on those having OCI cards has given a big relief to many stranded overseas citizens of India across the world.
OCI card is issued to people of Indian origin globally which gives them almost all the privileges of an Indian national except for the right to vote, government service and buying agricultural land. The OCI card gives them a visa-free travel to India.
On Friday, the central government allowed certain categories of OCI card holders, who are stranded abroad, to come to the country. Earlier, according to the regulations issued by the Indian government in April, visas of foreign nationals and OCI cards were suspended as part of the new international travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.
This privilege of visa free travel to India was causing distress among a large number of people of Indian-origin and Indian citizens in countries like the US whose children were OCI card holders as they were born in this country.
Many Indian parents, several of whom lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis due to coronavirus pandemic, but were not allowed to take the special evacuation flights of Air India from various US cities, took to social media and urged the Indian leaders to allow them to travel to India.
“This is a big relief for the OCI card holders. It was a humanitarian crisis in the making. I am pleased that the Indian Government listened to their voices,” said social activist Prem Bhandari, chairman of Jaipur Foot USA, who has been taking up the cause of the OCI card holders.
Dr Arathi Krishna, former deputy chairperson of NRI Forum of Karnataka government, who had been demanding this relaxation, many of the thousands of stranded OCI card holders in defferent parts of the world were in pursuading her to exert pressure on the authorities concerned for this much needed relaxation.
The restrictions on traveling of OCI card holders to India was issued by govt of India on March 13 in the wake of global outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
She said: "Many parents who are Indian nationals could not travel for emergency purpose to India after repatriation flights started due to their minor children being OCI card holders. Many children who were OCI card holders could not travel to India to perform last rites when there was death in their family due to these restrictions"
"I was constantly pressurising and bringing these issues to the attention of ministry officials in External Affairs and Home Affairs departments. I was following up with Mr Dammu Ravi who is heading the COVID task force task firce in the ministry of overseas Indian affairs who took interest in solving this problem through his consistent efforts with MHA. Iam thankful to Fireign Secretary too for his efforts and concern and to MHA for making it easier now for OCI card holders to travel in repatriation flights with emergency reasons," she said.
Comments
All Muslim must Vote for SDPI...we should follow our hindu ppl...how they VOTE only for BJP in mangalore ...if the cadidate is also DOG..if it is hindu then they will vote for it....in similerly we should vote for SDPI if the cadidate is CAT....vote for religion not for this country development...
D'Souza Gaddar man...what is the construbution of your community towards indian independence...you people are slave and licking boots of british...we and our hindu brother fought & die to this country...
the biggest terror is the george W bush
we all know about you people...you always spread division, curription on earth and make people fight and play innocent role...
killing people using modern weapon & black suit with tie doest not make innocent..its also terror attack..
ALL Muslim must VOTE for SDPI, we all know the capacity of congress leader...NAMARD cadidate....if we defeat also we should vote for SDPI....
from where do you get all these infos ? Pls list out the outfit names also so that we can laugh out loudly.its an open challenge for you , prove your allegations if you dare
Wow Kudos to CD team for appraove OP's opinion. Kindly ensure similair opinion about national parties will be reflected as well. Journalism must be people friendly and request CD Editor team not to biased and respected readers opinion. Thanks
SDPI ZINDABAD............ YES LET CONGRESS SUPPORT SDPI IF THEY R REALLY A SECULAR PARTY........
SDPI is political arm of PFI, which allegedly has links with several terror outfits. All those who vote for this fellow are terrorists.
Let Congress – if it is really a secular party – decide not to field candidate from Dakshina Kannada and officially support SDPI as the latter had done in many seats in last Assembly polls. All the shortlisted Cong ticket aspirants are useless, shameless and corrupt people. Let all the peace lovers back SDPI this time.
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