Thiruvananthapuram: Around 45 Keralites were among the latest batch of Indians airlifted from Afghanistan to New Delhi on Sunday.
"It has been a nightmare and I don't know how to express it. There are several check-posts erected by Taliban and getting up to the airport was a herculean task and I thank the Government of India and the Government of Kerala for having helped all of us back to India. All the Keralites are back to the country," a person from north Kerala who was in Afghanistan for the past few years told IANS, on the condition of anonymity.
Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, told media persons that the government has brought in a group of Indians in which Keralites are also there. "According to our information, around 500 Indians are still stranded in various areas of Afghanistan and we will be airlifting them as well," he said.
Pinarayi thanks PM Modi, MEA
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the evacuation and repatriation of Indian nationals including Keralites from Afghanistan by the Ministry of External Affairs was "commendable" and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Vijayan, in a tweet, thanked the Ministry and Modi and said the Keralites requiring assistance can contact Norka roots.
"@MEAIndia & @PMOIndia's effort in the evacuation and repatriation of Indian nationals including Keralites is commendable. Thank you for ensuring the safety of all Indians. Keralites requiring assistance can contact Norka roots or MEA's 24x7 Special Afghanistan cell," Vijayan tweeted.
Meanwhile, former Indian diplomat Venu Rajamony told media that there is no exact data on the number of Indians and Keralites working in Afghanistan as several people who reach that country from the UAE and other countries does not register with the embassy. However, he said that the Indian embassy has operational contacts with the Taliban as was evident by the evacuation.
India on Sunday brought back nearly 400 people, including 329 of its nationals and two Afghan lawmakers, in three different flights as part of its efforts to evacuate its citizens from Kabul.
A total of 168 people, including 107 Indians and 23 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, were flown from Kabul to the Hindon airbase near Delhi in a C-17 heavy-lift military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
India carried out the evacuation missions in coordination with the US, Qatar, Tajikistan and several other friendly countries.
(With IANS and PTI inputs.)
