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Iraq crisis
India gets Gulf envoys’ support for evacuation
Ashok Tuteja
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 29
Gulf countries today responded positively to India’s request for their assistance in evacuating Indians from strife-torn Iraq as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reviewed the situation in the Arab nation at a high-level meeting with top diplomats here.

Families meet Sushma External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reviewed the situation in the Arab nation at a high-level meeting with top diplomats on Sunday A delegation comprising family members of some of the 39 construction workers held captive in Mosul also met Swaraj and appealed to her to intensify efforts to secure their release  This was their second meeting with the minister in 10 days. The minister reassured the delegation that the Indian workers, mostly from Punjab, were safe

A delegation comprising family members of some of the 39 Indian construction workers held captive in Mosul also met Swaraj this evening and appealed to her to intensify efforts to secure their safe release. This was their second meeting with the minister in the past 10 days. The minister reassured the delegation that the Indian workers, mostly from Punjab, were unharmed and the government was doing everything to get them freed.

The minister this morning held discussions lasting nearly three hours with Indian envoys from Gulf States. The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (Retd) VK Singh, Anil Wadhwa, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry and senior officials. Later, envoys of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE in New Delhi also joined the meeting of the Indian officials.

Briefing reporters, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said the minister asked each of the Indian ambassadors in the region to give his assessment of the situation in terms of assistance that could be provided to the stranded Indians in both the conflict zone and the non-conflict zone.

Swaraj decided that a part of the Indian Community Welfare Fund for the region would be used on the Indians in Iraq. Subsequently, funds have been transferred from two Indians missions to the Indian Embassy in Baghdad.

The envoys from Gulf States briefed the minister on how they view the situation in Iraq and what assistance their respective countries could provide to India. Their responses to India’s request for assistance were ‘positive and forthcoming’ and New Delhi intended to work with them, the spokesman said.

Swaraj also contacted each of the Indian official sent to Indian camp offices in Basra, Najaf and Karbala to check what sort of assistance Indians in these places wanted from the government. These camp offices were now ready to provide air tickets to those wanting to return to India. The government would start flying out the Indians tomorrow.

The government has also started operating mobile units in Baghdad to reach out to the Indians residing in various compounds or workplaces in the city. The numbers of these mobile units are: 00964770444899 and 009647704843247.

Asked about the 39 Indian construction workers in captivity of militants in Mosul, the spokesman said they remained unharmed. On whether the kidnappers had demanded any ransom, he said, “We have not received any demand.”

He said the government was in touch with 46 Indian nurses in a hospital in strife-torn Tikrit. They remain unhurt but worried because the conflict there had intensified with Iraqi forces trying to recapture the town.