New Delhi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday (August 22) said the Centre’s efforts to evacuate Indian nationals including Keralites from war-torn Afghanistan was "commendable".
In a tweet, Vijayan thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for evacuation and repatriation of Indian nationals from Afghanistan, which has been under the fear of the Taliban since the militant group captured Kabul on August 15.
The Kerala CM tweeted tagging MEA and PMO office, “@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.”
@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.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) August 22, 2021
On Sunday, India evacuated at least 400 people, including 329 of its nationals and two Afghan lawmakers, in three different flights, PTI reported. Around 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 executed the evacuation missions in coordination with the US, Qatar, Tajikistan and several other friendly countries.
Narender Singh Khalsa, who was among the two Afghan lawmakers evacuated, broke down after the IAF flight landed at the Hindon air base. He regretted that the progress made in Afghanistan in the last 20 years has been lost. “I feel like crying... Everything that was built in the last 20 years is now finished. It's zero now, "ANI quoted him as saying.
According to government sources, India has been allowed to operate two flights per day from Kabul to evacuate its nationals stranded in Afghanistan.
Thousands of people have been making desperate attempts to leave Afghanistan since the Taliban took over Kabul. Many countries have been evacuating their stranded citizens as well as Afghan nationals from the violent militant group.
