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.
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I do not know why media is making some big issues. Most of us have many FB accounts, Email Ids. This is not like Aadhar or Passport where it is the identity. Even in US, I know many senators having many FB accounts. They cannot share their personal details on FB so they have personal, political and regular friends.
Its not your fault. Politics isn't your cup of tea. It is something that is beyond your abilities! Sumne acting madkond iddidre yeshto chennagittu alva? Why on earth do you need all this? Is it worth?
...she just wanted to follow Kejribhai and thought abusing Modi would be a good idea...poor thing paid for it....the way it looks spandana will now onwards beat slower and more sensibly...
When will Ramya make public her smart strategy to take over Nehru dynasty to become all-powerful in Congress party and announce her secret master-stroke engagement to Rahu ?
I like her witty tweet and proud of her success she achieved at young age. She is more smart courage than feku supporter stone aged most superstious backward mindset RSS criminals (especially pucking uneducated ignorant brainwashed male and from mangalore chaddi taliban region) from karnataka. Best part, she doesn't give rats to 1000s of hate, abuse message from 3rd class chaddi criminals. RSS
criminal hurt by fact! RAT that how smart Ramya treat trolls on her facebook and twitter. you low life coward chaddi criminals can intimate her with her and demolishing comments? get a life
manipulating videos is the history of Brahmin Bania Jumla Party! They did it in JNU, they did with Hardik Patel, they might have done now, they will continue doing always
ತಾಯಿ ರಮ್ಯಾ ದೇವಿ ! ಎಷ್ಟು ಶತದಡ್ಡಿ ಇದ್ದೀಯಮ್ಮಾ ನೀನು !? ಅಯ್ಯೋ ಪೆದ್ದಿ, ಮುಂದೆ election ಗೆಲ್ಬೇಕು ಅಂತ ಇದೇಯೋ ಅಥವಾ ಪಪ್ಪು ಆಗ್ಲೇ ರಾಜ್ಯಸಭೆ seat ready ಇಟ್ಟಿದಾನೋ?
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