Ajit Karn
Saturday, another flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from war-torn Sudan landed in New Delhi.
The Indian evacuees chanted “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Vande Mataram” and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them under Operation Kaveri from Sudan.
One of the Indian passengers described the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan. “Due to the ongoing conflict, it is now extremely difficult to reside in Sudan. In addition to the lack of food and water, bombardment and rocket launches are ongoing. None of us were leaving our residences. The mess hall was bombarded. A Sudanese electrician from Buxar, Bihar, who was evacuated from Sudan, remarked that it is difficult to flee and dangerous to travel by vehicle, as bus bombings are a possibility.
He praised Operation Kaveri and compared his evacuation from Sudan to “rebirth” because he had given up hope of surviving. “Had it not been for PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar, none of the Indians would have arrived in good health. From the bottom of my heart, I wish to express my gratitude. Bharat Mata ki jai, Modiji Zindabad,” he added.
In addition, he praised the Indian Army for facilitating their safe passage from Port Sudan to Jeddah. “When I saw them at Port Jeddah, we felt safe and knew we would make it to India unharmed. He added, “Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.”
Aiysha, a young girl evacuated from Sudan, also relayed her experience and expressed gratitude to the Indian government. “I feel calm. The situation in Sudan was ‘boom, boom, boom.’ I was terrified, as were my parents. She thanked the Indian government for its support and assistance.
“Operation Kaveri continues. 231 Indians arrive home safely as a second flight lands in New Delhi,” tweeted Jaishnakar.
“I have resided in Sudan for the past fifteen years. This is the first time we’ve encountered such a dire circumstance. They fired a rocket at my residence, which was very frightening. We requested evacuation from the Indian Embassy. They assisted us, and we were transported to Port Sudan by the Indian Navy. Navy personnel were extremely useful. When we landed in Jeddah, we received excellent air service. Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, a project engineer at a pharmaceutical company in Sudan, said, “The Indian government helped us in a time of need, and we are extremely grateful to the government.”
The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Garud Commandos conducted a daring overnight operation to airlift stranded Indians, despite the fact that the airstrip in Sudan’s Wadi Seidna lacked a navigational approach, landing aids, fuel, and landing lights (which are necessary to direct an aircraft landing at night).
IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small aerodrome in Wadi Seidna, approximately 40 kilometers north of Khartoum, Sudan, on the night of April 27, 28 2023, according to an IAF statement.
Hussain stated that the situation in Sudan will not normalize anytime soon. “It will take a very long time, and now that Khartoum is finished, they are regressing twenty years.” They cannot rebuild in such a manner while suffering significant losses,” he added.
“Since returning to India, I’ve felt a great deal of relief; for the past 14 days, I’ve been in a state of trauma and apprehension because of my daughter. Even our homes were not secure, we constantly feared that bullets could strike us from anywhere, and we doubted that we would ever see our families again. Another Indian evacuee said, “I would like to thank the Government of India from the bottom of my heart for supporting us in such dire circumstances.”
Mos MEA V Muraleedharan reported on Friday that 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah as part of ‘Operation Kaveri’.
Armed conflict between the army and paramilitary forces is causing carnage in Sudan. Despite the 72-hour moratorium, allegations of violence have been made.
Also read this:PM Rishi Sunak, wife Akshata Murty to lead King Charles’ coronation with UK flag
Soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, have engaged in combat.
India has deployed its military aircraft and warships in the war-torn country of Sudan to ensure that no Indian national is left behind.
