Indian Navy ship, INS Jalashwa, has departed the Maldives with 588 Indian nationals on Friday.
While this is INS Jalashwa’s second trip carrying Indian nationals stranded in the Maldives, this is the third evacuation voyage from the island nation. INS Jalashwa had previously taken 698 Indians home, while the smaller INS Magar left with 202 passengers on Sunday.
Noting that there are a number of Indians that wish to return home amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Indian High Commissioner Sunjay Sudhir said that they are working “very closely” with the Maldivian government in the evacuation process.
“I must convey my deepest appreciation and gratitude to the government of Maldives for extending full support, whether it is Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MPL [Maldives Ports Limited], MACL [Maldives Airports Company Limited], MNDF [Maldives National Defence Force], the Police service and the Customs service, everybody has gone that extra mile to help us in this evacuation effort”High Commission Sunjay Sudhir
The high commissioner stressed that this “is a glowing example” of the deep friendship between India and Maldives “on how [both] support each other” whenever needed.
INS Jalashwa is carrying residents of the State of Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep, to Cochin, on its second evacuation voyage.
The government of India has launched its biggest ever repatriation exercise amid the coronavirus pandemic, to evacuate stranded Indians from various parts of the world.
