With India under total lockdown, the country has closed itself to the rest of the world, extending its ban on international flights till April 14. A total of 430 Tamil families residing in Jakarta (400) and Bandung (30) in Indonesia have written a letter to DMK Chief MK Stalin, requesting for help from Tamil Nadu government and the Indian government in coming back home. Ramesh, President of Indonesia Tamil Sangam, explains to TNM that most of the Tamil families have expressed their desire to be evacuated and to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
I am informed that there are 430 Tamil families stranded in Indonesia, who wish to return to Tamil Nadu.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 29, 2020
I request @PMOindia and @CMOTamilNadu to help evacuate them immediately so that they can get home safe and sound. pic.twitter.com/VaJys1bm7S
“There is no lockdown in Indonesia as of now. The number of cases too is rising rapidly in comparison to India and some of them are very worried. We do understand the commercial flights have been cancelled as of now but many would like to return home,” he says. The Indonesian Tamil community comprises those involved in different kinds of professions ranging from manufacturing to trading.
Indonesia has reported over 1200 cases and 114 deaths so far. The country is yet to announce its lockdown. India, on the other hand, has reported a total of 28 COVID-19 deaths as of March 29 and is on a 21-day lockdown until April 14.
While Indians living in Indonesia have expressed their desire to come back home, approximately 100 Indian travellers are currently stranded in Bali, having travelled to the popular tourist destination on a holiday.
This includes Seshasai Balasubramanian, a 28-year-old Accounts Executive who works in Toronto, Canada but hails from Chennai, India. Seshasai travelled to Bali along with his wife on March 17 on his honeymoon trip. The couple were married on March 11 in Hyderabad. “We were supposed to fly back to Chennai on 23, March but on the 20th we came to know about the flights being cancelled. We were not able to reschedule our flights,” he says.
While Seshasai is currently put up in a hotel in Bali along with approximately 17-18 Indian travellers, he shares that he may not be able to afford to stay in Bali until the lockdown ends in India - April 14. “It may not be financially possible for any of us. We are running out of money, having to spend for stay and food already,” he adds with urgency.
Explaining that all of them are in good health as of now, Seshasai tells TNM that about 50 Indian travellers are planning to visit the Indian Embassy on Monday to take things forward.
Speaking to TNM, an official from the Embassy explains that all travellers in Bali, about 100 of them, are on their wedding trip, some allegedly having arrived as late as March 18. “We are closely assessing the situation and we will provide any kind of assistance they might require. We are also accessible 24x7 on our phones that we’ve given out as helpline numbers. We estimate that about 100 Indians from different states in the country are here in Bali,” he tells TNM.