A group of approximately 200 Indians, including students, made their way back to India from Israel on a chartered flight, marking the initial phase of Operation Ajay, a mission initiated by the Indian government to assist those wishing to return home. The operation was prompted by a series of bold attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants, which heightened tensions in the region.
A Warm Welcome from Union Minister Chandrasekhar
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar extended a warm welcome to the returning passengers at the Delhi airport as they disembarked from the plane. He greeted them with folded hands and personally met many of them, expressing, "Welcome home."
Voices from Returnees
Shashwat Singh, a post-doctoral researcher residing in Israel since 2019, described the challenging situation: "We woke up to sounds of air raid sirens. We stay in central Israel. I don't know what shape this conflict will take... I am doing postdoc in agriculture there." He expressed gratitude for the evacuation efforts, saying, "We hope peace will be restored, and we will return to work... The Indian government got in touch with us via email. We are thankful to Prime Minister Modi and the Indian Embassy in Israel."
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated that approximately 18,000 Indians currently reside in Israel, with a smaller number in the West Bank and Gaza.
Indians Share Their Experiences
Suparno Ghosh, a first-year PhD student from West Bengal, shared his experiences during the attacks in Israel: "We were in shelters... the Israeli government has made shelters everywhere, so we were safe."
Deepak, another student, expressed mixed emotions: "We heard sirens on Saturday. As the attack happened, we could hear the sound. Israeli authorities were instructing us (to take safety measures). It was a continuous attack. I am happy to return home, but sad also, as our friends are there (in Israel)." He commended the smoothness of the evacuation process.
Duti Banerjee, also among the returning Indians, described the situation in Israel as "pretty messy and unsettled," with normal life temporarily halted. "People are scared and angry. Even when I was leaving, I heard sirens and had to go to a shelter," she added.
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
