Iran War: Anxiety Overwhelms Families As Id Fast Approaches
Families in Hyderabad say concerns about the safety of their relatives in Gulf nations have overshadowed Id preparations.
Hyderabad: As uncertainty deepens amid the ongoing war in West Asia, anxiety is rising among families in Hyderabad with relatives working in Gulf countries ahead of Id-ul-Fitr later this week.
Several expatriates, who were planning to return home for the festival and weddings scheduled immediately after the festival are unable to travel because of the disruption of flights. As a result, families are planning to postpone marriages or conduct the nikah through a Power of Attorney (PoA) authorised and attested by the Indian Embassy.
“People who have applied in advance are approaching me and also calling me to suggest provisions in this scenario. I explained the provisions to families whose relatives are in the Gulf, and they are yet to take a call on whether to postpone or to go ahead with Nikah, through an authorised PoA.
A Qatar-based Hyderabad native was attempting to travel via Saudi Arabia before Id and struggling to get tickets. While exploring options, he sought my opinion on the postponement of Nikah,” said Qazi Uzair, deputy chief qazi and legal advisor, Qila Mohammed Nagar Barah Mahal.
Those desperate to return are paying more than Rs 1.5 lakh for flight tickets, compared to the usual Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 fare from Hyderabad to Dubai during normal times. Some travellers are attempting to return through neighbouring countries.
“Since there are barely any flights from Dubai now, thousands remain stranded. They are taking taxis to Muscat by spending around 3000 dirhams (UAE), taking a visa-on-arrival for 150 dirhams and spending around 3000 dirhams on flight tickets to India. Moreover, most of these flights are either to Bengaluru or other eastern cities,” said a Dubai-based NRI, requesting anonymity.
Families in Hyderabad say concerns about the safety of their relatives in Gulf nations have overshadowed Id preparations.
“People have changed priorities. Those who were gearing up for Id are now praying for the well-being of their relatives in Gulf nations. Though the relatives in nations like Dubai try to give confidence to people at home, they remain anxious as missiles pound and debris of intercepted missiles fall. Biggest victims of this war are the dependents and poor relatives, who have financial expectations, as remittances are badly hit this year,” said Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez, whose son works for a Europe-based company in Dubai.
Socio-political activist Ilyas Shamsi urged the state and central governments to prepare an evacuation plan for Indians stranded in Gulf countries. “Most of the people who are trapped in Dubai are labourers, who are unable to return home due to exorbitant flight charges. State and central governments, which are embroiled in the LPG crisis, should also think about making arrangements to airlift those stranded in the Gulf nations,” he said.
