New Delhi: The crisis in Iraq has ramifications for India and concerns are growing over Indians stranded in Iraq. According to the Indian Ambassador to Iraq, all of them are safe.
Most of the stranded Indians are nurses from Kerala. Their families are praying for their safe return. The Kerala Nurses Association has appealed to the State and Central governments to intervene and ensure emergency evacuation of the stranded nurses especially in Tirkit and Mosul.
Kerala Minister KC Joseph said that the state government is in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs. MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin has said, "We are in touch with the International Red Cresent, who will be providing us with first hand information of the Indian citizens in Tikrit and other parts of Iraq. We are also in touch with the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, they too have extended their help."
Some stranded are from Punjab. "My brother has been working in Iraq for the last 10 months. I tried to contact the Indian embassy in Iraq. But I didn't get any response. I wrote to MEA and the Indian embassy but I am still yet to response. My brother told me that there are 41 Punjabis, 95 Indians in total stranded in Iraq. My brother wants to return but doesn't have proper documents. I request the Indian government to facilitate the necessary documents for my brother's return," said a stranded Indian's relative Rupinder Kaur.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has urged the Narendra Modi government to take steps to rescue the Indians. "We as a government need to take some solid action. I would urge the government to send a squadron of the Indian Air Force with a transport plane to Baghdad, evacuate all the Indians and bring them back," Swamy said.
Official sources say 46 Indians are currently stranded in Tikrit where Iraqi security forces are fighting Sunni militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. 40 Indians are stranded in Iraq's second largest city of Mosul which is currently under the control of rebels.
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