Stranded in South Korea, over two hundred Indians including mariners await return to their homeland

NEW DELHI. Over two hundred Indians including 64 mariners stuck in South Korea for the last two months are a desperate and distressed lot as after having found the name of South Korea missing from the first two lists of nations India is sending flights and ships to, to rescue stranded Indians across the world under Vande Bharat Mission, the biggest ever repatriation drive.

Many of these Indians have lost their jobs while some have medical exigencies back home in India. They have taken to the social media and microblogging sites to voice their concern and share their plight with the officials of the Indian embassy in Seoul.

On May 7, India launched Vande Bharat Mission, Phase 1 in which India flew 64 Air India and Air India Express flights and sent two Naval ships mainly to the middle east to bring back 14,800 stranded Indians who were stuck there due to lockdown announced in India from March 25.  South Korea did not mention in this list.

On May 13, Indian aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced another list of nations to operate 149 Air India flights to repatriate 30,000 Indians from 31 countries between May 12 and 22. The name of South Korea was missing in that list too.

“We kept our patience when the Indian aviation authorities took out the first list of nations and South Korea did not figure in this. But we are feeling restless and our patience is giving way as South Korea did not appear in the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission too. I have lost my job and it is very difficult to survive here. It would take just one flight to take us back to India,” a disgruntled Indian told Asian Community News (ACN) Network from South Korea over the phone.

He said that the level of desperation had touched such a high that the stranded Indians were discussing the possibilities of hiring chartered flights too.

The Indians living in South Korea for so many years are mediating between the stranded Indians and the Indian Embassy in Seoul to push their cause.

On Thursday, the Indian ambassador in ROK Sripriya Ranganathan met the representatives of the Indian community to discuss plans to move stranded Indians.

The Indian embassy in Seoul tweeted on its officials Twitter handle, “Ambassador @ambsripiriya met with the leadership of Indians in Korea and discussed plans to move stranded Indians from Korea to India and vice versa.”

Also read: Finally, Indians to return from Japan under Vande Bharat Mission on May 16-22

Another Indian Rahul Singh wrote on the Twitter, “Mamm. Sailors stuck fr 2 mnths..hw do u expt world to mve when we r treted like this..compny cooperating, only need flt. Hv emcy at home..had been patient..60 days.. left out begging #AtmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan .. wiout transprt hw to do?? #strandedsailors @IMOHQ @PMOIndia @MEAIndia.”

On Sunday the May 17, the ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan is going to organize a digital online meeting with the stranded Indians and listen to their pleas.   

On its Facebook page, the Indian embassy May has invited the stranded Indians to register using the link  https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSe4fvDmjUl6QJobmX…/viewform

Invitations will be sent to those registered on the first come first serve basis, it said.

According to a source in the ministry of external affairs in India, the nation was carrying out the biggest ever repatriation drive, and it had a huge responsibility of evacuating a large number of stranded Indians from across the world.  

“We have already initiated flights in many countries and South Korea also is in our notice about which we will take some decision in the near future. But still, there are many more countries where the flights are yet to be sent for evacuation. We would like to tell Indians stranded in South Korea to be patient a little more please,” said a senior government official related to aviation matters.    

Also read: Japan, South Korea missing from first list of countries for evacuation of Indians stranded abroad