Panic, confusion among students
NEW DELHI: On Monday evening, when 2 4 - year- ol d Manasi Rozekar heard of the first case of coronavirus surfacing in Norwich, a city in England’s Norfolk country where she is studying, she immediately decided to book a flight home to New Delhi. As she navigated the flight options, she learnt of flights to India being cancelled from March 18.
“Within minutes the prices of flights from the UK to India surged to ~1.5 to 2 lakh. Then we came to know that flights have been cancelled from 18th. Despite the sharp increase in prices, people were willing to pay just to return home. Even I was trying to book, but within a couple of minutes no seats were available anymore,” said Rozekar, who is studying for her law at the University of East Anglia.
The Indian government’s decision to prohibit the entry of all passengers from the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey, and United Kingdom to check the spread of the novel coronavirus has created panic and confusion among several Indian students in these places. On Tuesday, the ban on travel was extended to flights coming in from Afghanistan, the Philippines and Malaysia.
To be sure, students are appreciative of the Indian government’s efforts to tighten the lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. At the same time, they are feeling abandoned by their own country at a time of crisis.
“This is a very worrying situation. India has taken a wise step but I feel so stuck here. Especially since the person who tested positive stayed just a building away and I am not sure if I have it already,” said Rozekar. “In any case, I would have preferred to stay in India and did not mind being put in quarantine.”
Gaurav Girish Kulkarni, 23, who is also a student in Norwich, said: “I knew that we would be tested and quarantined if we went back to India, but I never thought that they would take this sudden decision of cancelling all flights. At least the government should have given us some time.”
Several students prefer to stay put where they are rather than heading home on account of the fear of being quarantined on landing.
“Even though we are hoping Air India will fly out Indian students from Milan, I prefer staying here rather than being quarantined for 14 days after landing,” said Shahzeb Khan, a student of Poletecnico di Milano at Milan in Italy. “I am not leaving my hostel and the University is providing us with all facilities including sanitizers etc,” added Khan, who belongs to Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.