Mumbai & Thiruvananthapuram: Set the clock back to 1991. George Bush of America was fighting Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Many were killed. Many evacuated. Turn to today. George W Bush of America is fighting Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Many are getting killed. Many are getting evacuated.

Not forgetting the fate of hapless citizens who got killed, and getting killed, and the physical and psychic trauma of the ones who are alive to tell the tale, those who really bore the brunt are the ones who work(ed) in the Middle East. They end(ed) up losing their jobs, fleeing towards their homelands in search of life (See '').

The new exodus has started; let's look at the latest news.

1,235 Indians return from Kuwait on A-I flights
All the four special flights, operated by Air-India (A-I) to bring back Indian nationals from Kuwait, have arrived. While three of these flights arrived at Mumbai carrying 994 Indian nationals, the fourth arrived in Kochi with 241 passengers, including 42 infants.

Says an A-I spokesman: ''The arrival of some of these special flights in Mumbai from Kuwait was delayed due to congestion at Kuwait airport and also because of a breakdown in conveyor belts. These resulted in baggage of some passengers, who travelled on the first two flights, being left behind in Kuwait.''

The spokesman urges the affected passengers to kindly appreciate the fact that facilities like conveyor belt at Kuwait airport were not maintained by A-I and that the national carrier could do little to help expedite matters in making the same functional. ''Passengers' safety was naturally accorded priority. An indefinite delay in departure of the flights from Kuwait might have led to disruption of other scheduled flights and non-availability of aircraft for more flights, including those for getting Indian nationals out of affected areas in the Gulf.''

It is learnt that efforts are on to transport the baggage on AI 806, which operates on the Jeddah-Kuwait-Mumbai sector as per normal schedule. ''But the same could not be done as this flight had to skip Kuwait due to a missile attack on Kuwait at about the time this flight was due to land,'' the spokesman adds.

More flights planned
A-I director (public relations and national marketing division) Jitender Bhargava says A-I is closely monitoring the situation and will put in additional flights as and when needed from Kuwait or any other point in the Gulf region. ''To meet up the increased demand from Indian nationals to return home, we will operate more flights to Kuwait which will carry around 1,000 passengers. There has been a sudden demand from Indians to return home.''

While two of these services will be operated with Boeing 747-200 aircraft on the Mumbai-Kuwait-Mumbai sector, one A-310 service will be operated on the Mumbai-Kuwait-Kochi-Mumbai. Adds Bhargava: ''We have already made all the necessary arrangements to keep the operation uninterrupted. In case, all the airports close down, A-I will operate from Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia.''

From 18 March 2003, A-I started operating its westbound flights overflying Iran, which entails an additional distance of 36 nautical miles. A-I has simultaneously upgraded security at airports and increased surveillance.

Contingency plans on
The Indian embassy in Kuwait has made contingency plans for Indians wishing to leave Kuwait, says Kerala Tourism Minister K V Thomas. ''The Prime Minister's Office, when contacted, had informed the state government that there is no need for panic. The embassy had a plan-of-action ready.''

M K Muneer, Thomas' cabinet colleague, says any number of flights could be arranged from the Gulf sector to India. ''A problem may arise only if the airports are closed. In such an eventuality, Indians will have to travel by road to Daman to board a flight to India.''

Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Minister M M Hassan, while assuring that A-I has announced additional flights from Kuwait to Mumbai and Kochi, says Malayali organisations are taking the initiative to organise security drills for Malayalis in Kuwait and other places. And the Indian embassy has built emergency shelters. ''The government is in touch with Malayali organisations in Kuwait, though there is no communication with Malayalis in Iraq.''

Thomas, Muneer and Hassan have already left for New Delhi to discuss with the central government the safety of Malayalis in the Gulf and travel arrangements for those wishing to return to Kerala. They are expected to meet Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Civil Aviation Minister S S Hussain.

They have requested the Centre to make gas masks available to Malayalis, especially those who cannot afford to buy them. They have also sought an alternative set-up for students in the Gulf to write the CBSE examinations, in case there is any disruption in the ongoing examinations.

Directions have been sought to enable the Kerala state government to directly contact the Indian embassies in the Gulf for providing assistance to Malayalis. The control room, which has started functioning in the state secretariat to help Malayalis, can be reached over phone (0471) 251 8129 and (0471) 251 8182. The fax number is (0471) 232 7192. The control room could also be contacted by email: