Vande Bharat Mission completes its New Zealand leg; took 1,650 Indians safely back home
As part of the world’s largest evacuation exercise undertaken by the Government of India (GOI), which till now has brought over half a million Indians safely back to India, the New Zealand leg of Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) finished on July 3.
In total, over the course of just over a month, the leg which started on June 7, took 1,650 Indians stranded in New Zealand back home, covered across 10 flights. Nine were flown by Air India, and one was a private charter.
Moreover, as a sign of increasing cooperation between the two countries, the flights also brought 1,850 Kiwis stuck in India back to New Zealand.
Expressing satisfaction in successful completion of the New Zealand leg of VBM, Muktesh Pardeshi, Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand noted, “As I always say, the Indian High Commission (IHC) is always there to serve the Indian community in New Zealand. And though nothing can ever fill the gap a family feels on the loss of a loved one, I am grateful that we were able to help the bereaved families by taking home the mortal remains of two Indians who lost their lives during the pandemic.”
“Another story that touched my heart was us being able to take home a lady with a two-and-a-half year old child, who was deserted by her husband in January, and was living in a shelter home. We paid for her airfare too.”
But the Mission was not without its challenges. “Firstly, we had to convince the GOI to focus on New Zealand as well, where the number of stranded Indians was about 2,500. Also, as Air India had no office in New Zealand, the IHC effectively acted as their guardian. We helped the airline with everything except ticketing including logistics, flight clearances, check-ins, and even medical check-ups.”
Pardeshi especially mentions Prana Family Health (PFH), which provided docters and nurses to assist Air India with all the medical check-ups, as was mandatory for anyone boarding the VBM flights. “Sometimes the medical professionals from PFH were working at the Auckland Airport throughout the night, with IHC staff, to make sure every protocol was followed. Their contribution in making this mission a success is commendable.”
On increased cooperation between India and New Zealand in the last four months or so, as both countries have fought the pandemic, the High Commissioner said, “It started with the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand to India in February. Later when the pandemic struck, India assured New Zealand that all medical supplies will arrive here as was promised. And it did. We even took the newly-appointed New Zealand High Commissioner to India in one of VBM flights to enable him to take charge amid the pandemic. So the cooperation between the two countries have been terrific, I would say.”
He was also very appreciate of the help the IHC’s Consulate Office in Auckland provided during the course of VBM flights. “If I can summarise it in a single sentence, I would say, without our Honorary Consul in Auckland, Bhav Dhillon, VBM’s New Zealand leg would not have been possible.”
Dhillon, on his part, noted, “VBM is the largest evacuation exercise of its kind ever undertaken. This would not have been possible without the exemplary cooperation we received from the New Zealand authorities, Auckland Airport, and last but not the least our community leaders.”
The last word also belonged to the Honorary Consul who added, “There is nothing more satisfying than to see smiles on faces of hundreds of people who are going back to their homes and be re-united with their loved ones.”
Some stories of Indians who were helped by VBM flights:
A young lady was desperate to see her terminally ill father in India. She approached the High Commission on June 7, and her urgent return was facilitated the same day. Her father unfortunately passed away a few days later.
A very stressed and mentally disturbed man, facing expiration of visa after losing his job, came all the way from Christchurch to Wellington. He personally requested the HC to assist him in reaching Gujarat to reunite with his stressed wife and 3-year-old son. He informed that his wife had threatened to divorce him if he did not reach India soon. He profusely thanked the officials at the airport before boarding the June 18th VBM flight to Gujarat.
An employee of a semi-government institution was stuck in New Zealand with his wife, and was on unaccounted leave. He was about to lose his job in India. But fortunately, he boarded the June 7th flight and made it in time to resume his job.
A terminally ill 75-year-old lady patient had only a few months to live (as told by her doctor), and wished to meet her family in India one last time. She boarded the June 28th flight to reach her home in Chandigarh.
A 24-year-old work visa holder man, suffering from liver cancer, was financially unable to get the treatment done in New Zealand. He missed out the initial flights as he was declared not fit to fly by the doctors. He boarded the June 20th flight to reach Hyderabad.
-Gaurav Sharma