Dubai: An Indian expat in Dubai confirmed on Saturday he will at last be flying home after his appeal to Indian officials in the UAE and India following his son’s death in India last week.
Satish Chandra Mishra, a 45-year-old safety inspector at a Dubai firm, told Gulf News he has been booked on a June 30 repatriation flight from Dubai to Delhi.
It follows his emailed plea last week to various Indian officials in the UAE and India, which eventually reached India’s civil aviation minister, who on Friday promised “all possible help” on his Twitter handle.
Mishra said, “My situation is better now as I will be going home. I wanted to take part in some rites related to my son’s funeral and be with family in this difficult time. A mourning father is entitled to this.”
His son died on June 23 in his home state of Uttar Pradesh; he was 17.
Mishra was said to have registered under India’s ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, the biggest repatriation scheme to fly Indian expats from the UAE and other countries to India. However, Mishra had reportedly not received a confirmation for a flight out.
There is a huge rush of expats seeking repatriation flights to return or visit home after being stranded here or needing to tend to an urgent matter back home.
Mishra’s plea was forward on Twitter to Indian civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who on Friday tweeted, “My heartfelt condolences to Sh SC Mishra Ji on his irreparable loss. My office is in touch with him. We have contacted @MEAIndia [Ministry of External Affairs, India] & @cgidubai [Consulate General of India in Dubai] to provide all possible help to facilitate Sh Mishra’s travel. May the young departed soul Rest in Peace.”
The tweet came in reply to Twitter user Balram Tripathi (@BalramT21399574) – a cousin of Mishra – who had forwarded Mishra’s email to the minister, saying, “This person is in serious problem sir...His son is died on 23rd June. He is waiting for the flight from Dubai to India so that he can join his son’s funeral. He has registered himself in Dubai embassy but can’t get call for ticket booking. Pls pay attention.”
Mishra said his repatriation flight will take him to Delhi, from where he will seek onward travel to Gorakhpur airport in Uttar Pradesh state. His village of Sonda, in Deoria district, is around 45-km away from the airport.
