Highlights
- India extends nationwide lockdown for the third time until May 31
- Ministry of Home Affairs bans all domestic and international flights
- OCI cardholders will not be allowed to travel to India until international flights resume
Ruling out all speculations around the resumption of flights, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday extended the ban on domestic and international flights till the end of this month, after reporting nearly 5000 new cases of coronavirus infections.
However, the restrictions will not apply to flights for special purposes and those specifically approved by the ministry.
"All domestic and international air travel of passengers except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance and for security purposes or purposes as permitted by the MHA to remain prohibited," the ministry said in a statement outlining new guidelines.
The authorities have, however, not provided a timeline on when the flight operations would resume in the country.
In line with the government’s directive, the country’s national carrier, Air India reiterated that it will only resume flight bookings after receiving directions to do so from the Government of India.
How will the travel ban affect OCI cardholders?
This means OCI cardholders intending to travel to India will have to wait for a longer period than what was initially anticipated.
Australian citizen, Amar Singh who is desperate to visit his native village in the northern Indian state of Punjab to meet his parents after his 37-year-old brother’s sudden death says "this could not have been more ill-timed."
“My brother who was seven years younger than me passed away after suffering a silent heart attack two days ago,” says a grieving Mr Singh who lives with his family in Melbourne.
“Other than enduring the shock of his sudden death, now I will also have to live with this guilt of not being able to perform his last rites or support my aged parents during these hard times,” he says.
A significant number of OCI cardholders from Australia have reportedly registered their interest to travel to India on special flights being operated by Air India, as part of the government’s massive evacuation mission to fly home Indian nationals who have been stranded abroad due to the pandemic.
But as per the renewed travel advisory, OCI cardholders will not be allowed to enter the country until the Indian government decides to lift the restrictions on international air travel.
While the government of India has a provision to allow exemptions to non-Indian passport holders who intend to travel for “compelling reasons”, many applicants from Australia and the US have been denied these exemptions.
Sydney-based single mum Meenakshi Sharma who has been appealing to the Indian government to allow her to be repatriated along with Indian nationals, so she can be reunited with her one-year-old child has also received a rejection.
“The order states that OCI cardholders can apply for an exemption to travel to India if they have compelling reasons. A mother whose child’s health is deteriorating because there is no one to care for him in India isn’t compelling enough? Tell me if that’s not a valid ground for seeking exemption, then what is,” says Ms Sharma.
Indian media has quoted a government official who said the authorities are aware many OCI cardholders who wish to come back to India.
A snapshot of the High Commission's response to Ms Sharma. Source: Supplied
“Once we are able to meet the minimum expectations of our own nationals, I think we will be able to examine other requests also, including OCI cardholders,” a government official reportedly said in a statement to .
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