Page 34 - NIS English 16-31 July,2025

COVER STORY | Mission to save loved ones

Mission

Vande Bharat

Your generation is fortunate in a The biggest mission so far to
way that it did not have to suffer
the loss of the earlier ‘defensive’ bring back our own people.
and ‘dependent’ psychology. But n During the biggest pandemic of the century, like
if this change has come to the Covid, when the whole world came to a standstill
country, then the first credit for this and India also had to impose strict lockdown,
also goes to all of you, to our youth. the central government, taking care of the
Now you see, for example, in the Indians stranded abroad, started Mission Vande
Bharat. This mission has been one of the biggest
sectors in which the country did evacuation efforts globally.
not even think of moving forward n The entire action plan was prepared under the
on its own earlier, India is now leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On
on the path of becoming a global 5 May 2020, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
leader in those sectors. tweeted and asked Indians stranded in other
countries to stay in touch with the embassy there.
- Narendra Modi, Prime Minister The Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of
Home Affairs, and Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, along with various state governments, were
new policy of the new India. When the COVID-19 included in it. On 7 May 2020, the historic and
pandemic hit the world in March 2020, the mission biggest mission so far started.
of the Government of India to bring back its citizens
as well as the citizens of other countries safely to n Through the Vande Bharat Mission, the process
the country was appreciated all over the world. of bringing back every Indian stranded in crisis by
Amid the lockdown, India brought back its citizens air and through the sea route through Operation
to the country through 'Vande Bharat Mission' and Samudra Setu began. In the first phase, Indians
'Operation Samudra Setu' to bring back millions were brought back from Gulf countries and then
of Indians. Through this mission, not only were from more than 50 countries.
Indians evacuated from countries like China, Iran,
Italy, and Japan, but India also safely evacuated emerged as a troubleshooter by giving priority to
citizens of more than 50 other countries. Not only its citizens. In the year 2015, 'Operation Rahat' was
this, whether it was sending essential medicines to run from March to April 2015 to evacuate Indians
more than 150 countries during the time of Covid from war-torn Yemen. In this, about 2 thousand
or making the vaccine made to fight Covid available foreign citizens were also rescued. At that time also,
to other countries of the world, India always pre- given the deteriorating internal situation in Yemen,
sented an exemplary example to the world. This is advisories were issued on 19 and 25 March asking
the reason why the President of Brazil called India people to leave Yemen. Seeing the deteriorating
Hanuman, and the United Nations and the World situation, India worked on a rescue strategy, and
Health Organization also praised India. Due to Prime Minister Modi had a conversation with the
India's humanitarian approach, the countries of the King of Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of External Affairs
world did not hesitate to accept it as a global leader. of India arranged for a helpline and assistance. Air
Force, naval ships, and commercial aircraft were also
INDIA AS A RESPONSIBLE NATION deployed in this mission. In this mission, India helped
Due to strong leadership, India has now become a in evacuating not only its citizens but also people
symbol of hope and trust. In the past years, wherever from 48 other countries.
Indians have been in trouble in the world, India has The return of people trapped in Saudi Arabia is also

32 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || July 16-31, 2025