Rajkot (Gujarat) [India], April 2 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday assured safe return home for Indian citizens worldwide and recalled how India's foreign policy was at the forefront for the evacuation of Indian nationals under Operation Indravati to evacuate its nationals from the violence-hit Haiti and Operation Ganga in Ukraine.
He said that the Indians should have full confidence that the government will stand by them in all kinds of eventualities and crises, be it the Ukraine, earthquake in Nepal, war in Yemen, or others and never leave them to their fate.
Speaking at the intellectual meet in Gujarat's Rajkot, Jaishankar said, "When you leave the borders of India and go out into the world, then go with full confidence that the Indian government is standing with you."
Furthermore, Jaishankar underscored India's proactive approach, contrasting it with the limited evacuation efforts of some other nations during the crisis.
"If you see Ukraine, we people ran 90 flights at that time, some countries were running 4-5 flights, and many left their people there, saying if you are stuck, get out of there by yourself, we can't do much for you," S Jaishankar said.
In an effort to evacuate Indian citizens from Ukraine, India operated a total of 90 flights. While some countries were running 4-5 flights, many left their citizens there.
"The country that leaves its people to their fate will never have respect," he added.
Jaishankar highlighting the significant events that happened in Nepal, Yemen, Gaza and Sudan, said, "If you look at the last 10 years, there was an earthquake in Nepal, war in Yemen, recently there was a war going on in Sudan too, and whatever happened in Gaza, and, when the Taliban captured Kabul in Afghanistan, some people came to seek refuge in India.
He affirmed that the objective of such initiatives is to instill confidence among Indian citizens travelling abroad.
"So this system is to instill confidence in our citizens, that when you are leaving the borders of India and going out, go with full confidence that the Indian government is standing with you," he said.
This government does not just say things, but also does them, Jaishankar said.
"Now, in Haiti, around 25-30 people were there, their safety is also important, every life matters, and for that, a system has to be made...Preparations has to be done. In the past 10 years, we built a system, and in case someone gets stuck abroad, there's a fund and we tries to help them as soon as possible."
"Also, If we plan to go there, we see how we can altogether coordinate between us, defence ministry, our navy, and air force," he added.
Jaishankar emphasized the assurance given to Indian citizens, stating that if they are leaving India's borders to go abroad, they should go with full confidence that the Indian government stands with them
"This assurance is not merely rhetoric but is demonstrated through tangible actions repeatedly undertaken by the government," he added.
Indian government through its evacuation operation in Sudan and Ukraine has proved that India will never leave its people behind during crises. Operation Kaveri was launched to evacuate Indian nationals from Sudan.
Notably, Operation Ganga was an evacuation mission carried out by the Indian government to rescue its citizens stranded in Ukraine when the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv started on February 24, 2022. Similarly, this year, the Indian government launched Operation Kaveri to rescue Indian nationals from conflict-ridden Sudan.
India also evacuated its nationals under Operation Devi Shakti in Afghanistan and Vande Bharat mission during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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