Desperate Kiwis stranded in India and their anxious families here are pleading the New Zealand government to bring them back home.
“Our families need hope and action from their Government. Bring our families home now”, says Bev Kane who is among the hundreds of Kiwis who feel let down in this hour of crisis due to Covid-19.
According to some reports, there are nearly 800 Kiwis in India who are registered with SafeTravel, and over 500 of these are said to be desperately waiting for a mercy flight to take them to New Zealand.
Several of those stranded include those who went there as tourists and others of Indian-origin who were back home visiting family, and are now stuck due to clampdown of curfew there.
Stranded Kiwis are desperate to be back home
Apart from online petitions pleading to be rescued and signed by nearly a 1000 people, 349 stranded Kiwis have already added their names/ particulars in a data being compiled by a FB group set up for a joint effort to be heard.
“All these people are trying to get back to their country but they can’t due to lockdowns or cancellations of flights. Most of them are running out of their finances, others are struggling from mental stress caused and few are in urgent need of their medicine…Can you please rescue…before it gets too late…” one filed petition reads.
“Food options are decreasing. Water is rationed. Temperatures increased and mosquitoes worse than milford sound. We have got to get out of India,” writes John Davidson, a Hamilton resident, who is stranded in Delhi with his wife, Elizabeth in a FB post. They were scheduled to fly back on 22 March after their trip to India was called off on 19 March.Read More...
Davidson conveyed his disappointment to NewsViews today from Delhi.
“We are currently coming to the end of our third week of lockdown here in Delhi (and) the inactivity of our politicians has been palpibibily obvious. I’ve never spent so much time in an air conditioned environment in my life and while we make a concerted effort to go outside into the fresh air once it heats up its back inside again.”
They and the Stuarts from Waihi, were believed to on the same trip.
Don and Marian Stuart have also been unable to take their return flight on 4 April, and are seeking government intervention.
“If they were to get any serious illness, they were not sure if they would survive. I have medication that I have to take daily – I have enough to keep me going another two or three weeks but after that will probably run out,” Don reportedly told RNZ.
In view of the curfew in India where people are not permitted to venture out except for grocery shopping or medical services, access and availability of medicines is very limited.
Another stranded Kiwi echoed Sturat’s views.
“I’m on high blood pressure medication, brought enough for my trip plus 2 weeks extra just in case but that’s running out now. Have tried a number of pharmacies here but none have it in stock and suppliers can’t get it. Have started taking half dosage to make it last longer.”
Similar is the situation of Hamilton’s Shelly Wadhwa who suffers from asthma and is unable to get the medication there. She was scheduled to depart from India on 26 March but is now waiting for a flight back home.
Another family member has shared their concerns on Facebook as to how unsafe it could be there.
Several of these trapped Kiwis are looking to arrange chartered flights themselves, and are asking for stranded Kiwis to raise their hand if they were willing to pay. They, however, do not seem to realise this is no ordinary situation. Unless the governments are involved and willing, such flights cannot operate.
“If we could get a private charter plane from Delhi to Auckland and it cost up to $5k, would you be prepared to pay? I just need a show of hands… “a travel agent offered to help.
While some of them declined as they were “barely surviving on the limited funds”, a family from Christchurch felt there was no other choice, but to accept it, even though it may cost them close to $20,000.
“…$5000 is the only option to avoid paying hotels, food if we have to be here longer then April. I will definitely look into paying it to get home,” they wrote in their post.
This family of four, including two kids, are under lockdown in Chhattisgarh – located in the centre-east of the country, 1200 kms from Delhi. They arrived in India on 3 March and were to leave there on 2 April.
But among the desperate stories of Kiwis feeling insecure, Jess Powley has all the praise for the support they are getting from locals(in India).
“Just wanted to share my experience. I am a NZ citizen currently in Rishikesh (since 27th of Jan) I have safe and suitable accommodation and a good food supply, I am very supported here by locals and feel the best thing for me to do is to follow instructions of local authorities and stay put for as long as possible.”
While the Kiwis feel let down and abandoned in a foreign land where curfew rules could be interpreted in different ways by the ‘men in khaki’(sic: policemen), things seem to be at standstill in the power corridors of Wellington.
Today afternoon’s media conference by the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, however, did not have any mention to progress, if any, to more rescues.
One National party’s Auckland-based list MP has been assuring to take it up with NZ government. But the wheels do not seem to have moved an inch so far.
With number of Covid-19 cases rising daily, fear of getting infected are real. Before it is too late, trapped people there are calling upon the government to accord priority to this rescue mission.
Will the pleas of stranded Kiwis be heard? Only time will tell, but hope it does, and soon.
