CHENNAI/MADURAI: “A set of clothes and my passport is all that I have now. All my money and valuables have been looted by Sudan fighters,” said Divya Rajasekharan who arrived at the Chennai airport on Thursday from the war-ravaged African nation.
Divya, among the first batch of Tamils who were evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri, said the image of Sudan that she had cherished during eight years of her life in the country took a steep plunge over the last 15 days. The evacuees who reached Delhi earlier in the day reached Chennai around noon. While four from Madurai left directly for their hometown, five from Chennai and Vellore were flown to the Chennai airport from Delhi. Another four of them, who are now in Mumbai, will fly to Madurai on Friday, according to government officials.
“We thought the war would end in a couple of days, but our miseries increased from the third day,” Divya said, accompanied by Sophia from Vellore. Her house was located close to the office of the paramilitary unit. “My car, dollars and other valuables were taken away and on the eighth day of the conflict we became nomads,” she said. Fortunately, the Indian embassy got in touch with her and evacuated them to Delhi. “Now I have to start my life from scratch. I have no hopes of returning to Sudan,” Divya, from Madipakkam, said.
“We managed with curd rice and pickles, but later got stranded without food and water for a while. I am pregnant. Indian embassy officials contacted us and advised us to reach to the outskirts of the town to remain safe till we were taken to Port Sudan,” Sophia, another evacuee, said.
TN govt in touch with 160 people in Sudan, control rooms set up
IT professional Rajasekharan said he was shocked to see the military banging on his door. Anticipating trouble if he failed to open the door, he mustered courage and opened the door. “I was asked if I was an Indian. They assured me that they would not harm us. They asked for food, water and money and took our car away,” he said.
A family of four Joseph Diravium, his wife and two daughters who reached Madurai airport on Thursday were received by Thirumangalam RDO Shanthi, tahsildar Sivaraman and revenue officials. Diravium said electricity and internet were snapped in Sudan. “We used to run a school in an area now ravaged by war. Fearing for lives, we decided to return to India. I request the government to provide support for my daughters’ education,” he said.
Sources said the state government is in touch with 150 to 160 people in Sudan. “Those who want to be evacuated, we are helping them by getting in touch with the Indian government officials,” official sources told TNIE. Government has set up control rooms at the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi and at the Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of non-resident Tamils, Chennai, to facilitate the rescue operation. Those from the state stranded in Sudan or their relatives can contact the commissionerate on 9600023645 or mail to nrtchennai@ gmail.com, it said.
(With inputs from PTI)