The Supreme Court has taken a serious view of a plea highlighting that Indians, mostly blue-collar job workers from Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country, are still stranded in quarantine camps and “open spaces” in Kuwait amid the COVID-19 pandemic, awaiting repatriation to their homeland.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to consult with the government and obtain instructions. The court listed a hearing in 10 days.
The petition was filed by Velinadu Vazh Tamilar Nala Sangham, represented by senior advocate S. Nagamuthu, advocates Prabu Ramasubramanian, K. Paari Vendhan and Ragunatha Sethupathy.
The petition said the pandemic may continue for an indefinite period of time and citizens cannot be left stranded in inhuman conditions in a foreign country.
It sought a direction from the government to make a list of stranded Indians, draw up a schedule for their repatriation and, in the meanwhile, get in touch with the Embassy in Kuwait to provide them with basic essentials and medicines.
The petition said that in dire situations orchestrated by a global crisis, each country takes care of its own. A foreign country will prioritise its own people over the Indians there. Added to this fact, the majority of countries are finding it difficult to match their efforts to the alarming spike in cases, it pointed out.
