Op Raahat : The Great Indian Rescue (Pictures and News)

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 11 Apr 2015 04:46

Bollywood has several opportunities to make good war movies or celebrate achievements of India to create a grand Indin narrative. Even the heavy liberal Hollywood would make 2-3 movies on any American institutional achievement. India military service, police and sportsmen have accumulated spectacular accolades. These are not reinforced by movies and stories.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 11 Apr 2015 04:53

In Hindi onlee...about general's return and rescue operation.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 11 Apr 2015 05:08

I am not going to blame the media for not covering the operation because barring a few fotos and articles I picked almost everything from Indian sources. One could say the likes of an Bharka or Arnab did not provide a non stop coverage or gave it only a courteous mention. I am not in India so can not say if the Indian newspapers placed these stories on the inside pages. So give media other than the known mischief makers some credit.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 11 Apr 2015 05:14

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 11 Apr 2015 05:28

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 11 Apr 2015 05:59

So the AmirKhani C-17s came in handy, hain?

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 11 Apr 2015 18:47

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 12 Apr 2015 20:12

Posted by AdityaG in Misc. Military Images
Xposted here.

Aditya G wrote:INS Mumbai bunks (the pic is of Yemen evacuees):

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CB1XJXDUsAAC-Ht.jpg:large

fantastic.image says it all.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 12 Apr 2015 21:33

Do we know how many flights Air India made during Op Raahat?
How many IAF sorties by C17s?
How many ship movements by IN?
We know total evacuated is 9600.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 13 Apr 2015 02:56

Also, sorry to introduce a non-positive thought, actually it IS all positive:

How many musharrafs kicked in Dilli, Mumbai, Riyadh and Djibouti to convey the right attitude needed to get all this organized and run so smoothly - and how hard.

Continues a great tradition:
1. Operations in J&K 1948 that stopped the Paki sex-offenders in their tracks and rolled them back to the LOC.
2. Goa.
3. 1965.
4. 1971.
5. Post-tsunami IN effort
6. Rescue & evacuation of 80,000+ near Kedarnath

But this is the first I remember of a really large operation so far away from Indian shores.
I say again: preparations for a KSA evac need to be started now. I hope it is not followed by a Gelf version as well, that would be catastrophic.
KSA seems headed for a state of pakiness.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 13 Apr 2015 03:05

Instead of evacuation, how about preparing for occupation of Sure Barbaria..n nation and take control of it because that is where the oil wealth is.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Apr 2015 09:37

The night that tested the Navy - Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu

For the Indian Navy, Operation Rahat has become not just a people-rescue mission, though the force can take credit for helping to ferry home 5,000 Indians safely. In the choppy waters of war-torn Yemen, amid strafing and crossfire, the officers and seamen had to brave heavy odds, as on April 10.

“It was a riot-like situation, with bombs going off, Saudi airstrikes continuing to pound the city, and hundreds of people [of various nationalities] surrounding our ship to get on board and flee the violence,” recounts one of the men on board INS Tarkash of that night that threw the toughest challenge to Indian forces.

The Hindu has accessed photographs and eyewitness accounts from those on board the naval ship of the horrors of that night as the vessel stayed in the waters off Aden, waiting for the last of Indians who could find their way out of a country aflame. Hundreds of men and women arrived on boats, demanding that they be taken to Djibouti by the ship.

One witness said people trying to clamber on to INS Tarkash included armed men, some toting AK-47s. “We turned away anyone who was armed, but later we recovered live and fired ammunition from them, and knives as well,” an official said.

The body of one Indian, Manjeet Singh, who died of injuries when caught in the crossfire coming out of Aden, was brought to Djibouti by the ship, which carried pregnant women, people with cancer and malnourished children.

Yemenis and those of other nationalities desperate to get on to the ship forced Indians to stay back at the harbour until they boarded. “After taking in 200 evacuees and finding that more than 90 per cent of them were Yemenis, we realised they were stopping Indians from coming out to the ship,” one officer said. “We told the Aden port control sternly that unless they send Indians to us on the boats, we would not take Yemenis; they finally budged.” Even so, the ship carried only 50 Indians among more than 460 evacuees to Djibouti.

Asked if the ship had been in any danger, Naval Public Relations Officer Captain D.K. Sharma said: “If our men are stuck and we have to rescue thousands, we use force-protection measures. Our ships are well equipped and the men know how to handle such situations.”

Speaking about the challenges that the naval personnel faced, Captain Sharma said, “When you are going to a place that has fallen to rebels … all the authorities and infrastructure fail. Our men have been working as a sea bridge without respite, to bring Indian citizens out of Yemen, stopping in Djibouti only to make them disembark and then going back into the war zone.”

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Apr 2015 09:41

When the men showed exemplary bravery and magnanimity - Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu

As the night of April 10, when a riot-like situation prevailed around INS Tarkash off Aden with bombs going off and Saudi airstrikes pounding the city, brought out exemplary bravery and magnanimity of the naval personnel, one question that remains is why are Indian forces exposed to high risks to rescue nationals of so many countries.

Operation Rahat has evacuated 964 foreign nationals from 30 countries. Many SAARC nations directly requested Indian assistance, and those like the U.S. which did not launch any rescue mission of their own, simply listed Indian Embassy numbers in Yemen on their own travel advisories, urging citizens to contact Indian officials for help.

An official press release described the conditions as “difficult”. “Gun shots, shelling and firing in the port area and on the jetty were reported by crew of INS Tarkash ,” it said.

Most of the more than 5,000 Indians stranded in Yemen have been brought home safely, but for Indian Naval personnel, the dangers of the rescue mission are still very high. “Everyone sees how the Air Force and officials are processing the [details of] people brought out from Yemen, but they aren’t aware of the hourly dangers the personnel aboard the naval ships are facing,” a naval official says.

In the past decade, the Navy has undertaken similar rescue missions, bringing more than 1,500 out of Lebanon in 2006 despite a naval blockade and daily airstrikes by Israel, and hundreds out of Tripoli just days before the NATO bombing of Libya began in 2011.

“We had learnt many lessons from those operations but this was different, as the ports of Aden, Al Mokallah and Al Hodeidah had fallen to Houthi rebels and other armed groups,” Captain Sharma said. INS Tarkash , INS Sumitra and INS Delhi are still engaged in rescue operations, officials confirmed, while INS Mumbai is en route India.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Apr 2015 14:54

http://www.thehindu.com/specials/the-gr ... 089422.ece
The Hindu has given some details.

ramana wrote:Do we know how many flights Air India made during Op Raahat?

AirIndia flights: 17 , Total evacuees:2968+

How many IAF sorties by C17s?

C-17 sorties:3 Total Evacuees: 630

How many ship movements by IN?

INS Sumitra:4 Total evacuees: 2004+
INS MUMbai:2 Total evacuees:918+
MV Corals and MV Kavaratti sent to Djibouti escorted by INS Tarkash. djibourti was the point from where evacuees coming in INSs were transferred to MVs
INS Tarkash:1 Total Evacuees:74+ ( ongoing)

We know total evacuated is 9600.

Details and some great pics. Feels proud.

http://indiannavy.nic.in/print/2371?pag ... inavy_high
Final figure will be upward of 6594+ including 964+ foreign nationals from 26 nations including US and Pakistan.
Indians evacuated totaled 5600+ with about 2000 remaining who refused or could not reach the staging area or contact Indian embassy.Last of 74 + were evacuated by INS Tarkash amid heavy shelling in Port Al Hodeidah.

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 14 Apr 2015 10:26

Rescue us from VK Singh, please!

See the entitlement mentality of these "thank-less" moroms. If govt does not issue guidelines for evacuation notices and some sort burden sharing on last minute expensive operations, if god forbid if there is calamity in a country where Indians are in lakhs, then it will become a human catastrophe. Then everybody blames NaMo for his so called "reckless behavior."

At least GoI should clearly say that; "Self-evacuate by xx-xx-xxxx date, if not GoI cannot guarantee your safety and may not able to able to launch rescue operations due to prevailing situation. For orderly evacuation, if needy persons need any help (monetary/passport issues), they can contact nearest consular services." Prevention is better than cure, right?

Kavaratti, a passenger ship with a capacity of 800 people. “He wanted us to wait for three days on the ship until 600 more people landed up and then begin the seven-day trip to Kochi by sea,” explained John. Representatives from the Kerala government waiting in Mumbai, had made arrangements for about 40 people. When 400 people descended on them, with about 350 asking for a flight back to Kochi, it was a huge shock.

“They wanted to send us back by train and they told me they didn’t know until the last minute that our plane was not flying to Kochi,” said John. This sparked off a fresh controversy, with the evacuees holding a huge protest. “We have been through hell to get here, how can we be expected to sit on a train for another 38 hours?” said Babu. “We said that we would walk home!”

I wish Govt blocks this John's passport for a period of 5 years, why did this morom did not leave Yeman in Jan or Feb when govt issued advisory?

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 14 Apr 2015 10:45

People from Kerala many timea are not taking the risk factors of going there in the considaration. May be due to huge number of people going there on regular basis made them think that it is free of danger. May be they are from rural areas and do not fully understand what they are ending up with.

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 14 Apr 2015 10:52

I love mallus, some of them always seem to have a way of giving feedback on how inconvenient services are and how the service (of rescuing them from a soon to boil over cauldron) could have been made "better" and convenient. HE HE HE.

Modi should have booked Air Force One and rented USS Enterprise for the rescue so that everyone could travel in 5 star pleasure. Anything short is a failure by Modi and VK Singh sahibs.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 14 Apr 2015 11:00

Soon we will be seeing reports how peacefuls and others discriminated in the rescue efforts.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 14 Apr 2015 14:01

kmkraoind wrote:Rescue us from VK Singh, please!

See the entitlement mentality of these "thank-less" moroms. If govt does not issue guidelines for evacuation notices and some sort burden sharing on last minute expensive operations, if god forbid if there is calamity in a country where Indians are in lakhs, then it will become a human catastrophe. Then everybody blames NaMo for his so called "reckless behavior."

At least GoI should clearly say that; "Self-evacuate by xx-xx-xxxx date, if not GoI cannot guarantee your safety and may not able to able to launch rescue operations due to prevailing situation. For orderly evacuation, if needy persons need any help (monetary/passport issues), they can contact nearest consular services." Prevention is better than cure, right?

Kavaratti, a passenger ship with a capacity of 800 people. “He wanted us to wait for three days on the ship until 600 more people landed up and then begin the seven-day trip to Kochi by sea,” explained John. Representatives from the Kerala government waiting in Mumbai, had made arrangements for about 40 people. When 400 people descended on them, with about 350 asking for a flight back to Kochi, it was a huge shock.

“They wanted to send us back by train and they told me they didn’t know until the last minute that our plane was not flying to Kochi,” said John. This sparked off a fresh controversy, with the evacuees holding a huge protest. “We have been through hell to get here, how can we be expected to sit on a train for another 38 hours?” said Babu. “We said that we would walk home!”

I with Govt blocks this John's passport for a period of 5 years, why did this morom did not leave Yeman in Jan or Feb when govt issued advisory?

Where are our Hindutva vadis when you need them? When Modi got elected they bought a one way ticket to Karachi for UR Ananthamurthy because he said that he would not live in a land with Modi as PM. The need to give this John guy a one way ticket back to Aden

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 14 Apr 2015 19:01

Effing idiots... and please note the article, it has a picture of the Paki ambassador escorting smiling Indians. Also, it is difficult to assume that of all the evacuees Deccan Chronicle could not find a single one who could say a few positive words...

Altair · Post by **Altair** » 14 Apr 2015 19:42

Deccan Chronicle owner is in deep doodoo after BJP govt came to power. He is being investigated for various frauds by CBI. The owner is a womaniser known to have agents all over AP and Punjab trapping girls. Worst kind of snake. The deeper you dig Indian Media the ugly it gets.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 15 Apr 2015 08:59

From MEA twitter account:
link

'Thank you India'
Australian FM @JulieBishopMP thanked EAM @SushmaSwaraj for India's evacuation of Australian nationals from #Yemen.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 15 Apr 2015 10:02

Yagnasri wrote:People from Kerala many timea are not taking the risk factors of going there in the considaration.

Well being 100% literate and all that, they should be all smart enough to do risk assessment, am I right?

. What is 100% literacy, if these heroes cannot fend for themselves. It is these kind of tantrums and entitlement mentality which kind of forces me to say that any help given to Kerala by any other state in India (or Central Govt.) has to be on a payment basis. Unless every Keralite realises that there is "no free lunch" (communism or other wise), this kind of entitlement mentality is tough to go away. There was another whine by a Mallu (who was an ex-college union leader) who said Gen. V.K Singh shouted that he is a General, and his orders (to board the ship) be better followed

.

At least now the Central Government should clearly launch a campaign through the official channels clearly telling the Kerala folks what exactly GoI would try to do when such crisis happen, and what it does NOT plan to do. In the last two rescue operations (Egypt and now Yemen) bulk of the Indian refugees was Keralites. The state also needs to start sharing the costs, or make its citizen a bit more responsible.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 15 Apr 2015 21:20

the maddow show yesterday

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/57244561/ns/m ... S6QmOH9xzI

It`s also turned into a real problem for Americans who are left in
Yemen and don`t have a way out. One advocacy group in California set up
this Web site, StuckinYemen.com. For Americans who are stuck in that
country, they can input their personal information national hopes that some
advocacy group can help them try to get out because the U.S. government is
not moving people out.

More than 40 Americans who are stuck in Yemen or have family members
stuck there have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, saying the
U.S. government has a duty to evacuate its citizens the same way that other
countries have evacuated their citizens but the U.S. has not. This
weekend, more than 100 Americans who had been trapped in Yemen, they were
finally able to escape into the neighboring country of Djibouti. They were
greeted by U.S. embassy staff from Djibouti.

Remember there`s no U.S. embassy in Yemen anymore. There`s no
diplomatic personnel or military personnel in Yemen anymore at all this.
This is the closest U.S. embassy in the neighboring nation of Djibouti and
those embassy personnel did happily greet the American citizens who were
able to escape on their own by boat.

The U.S. ambassador to Djibouti tweeted these pictures of Americans
being so happy to have managed to escape Yemen on their own and get
somewhere safe where they could get help from American ovals in a different
country.

I got to say, though, it is a little weird to see the U.S. ambassador
tweeting "USA, thanks, India." Yes, because it wasn`t American boat that
got these Americans out, India sent a boat to help get people out of Yemen.
The United States did not. Thanks, India.

Also, thanks, Russia. The Americans were also able apparently some
of them to get on a Russian ship, as well because the Russians are sending
ships, not the Americans. It`s not that there aren`t U.S. ships in the
region. U.S. Navy vessels are participating in the war. They`re there
participating in a blockade with Saudi Arabia to keep Iran from sending
weapons into Yemen.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 16 Apr 2015 00:18

Folks can one or several of you get together and collate the info in this thread and write a piece for future use on Yemen Rescue:Operation Raahat?

Thanks in advance,

ramana

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 16 Apr 2015 02:35

+1 to ramana's request. A well written article about the effort and its implications would make for a BRM/SRR article for the author! If you plan to do so, please contact me at suraj dot brf at gmail

habal · Post by **habal** » 16 Apr 2015 17:40

Dr. Uma Nambiar who escorted this child back home is an advisor to ministry of health, Djibouti

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/this-6-d ... men-753685

This 7-Day-Old is the Youngest Indian Evacuated From Yemen

Aditya G · Post by **Aditya G** » 17 Apr 2015 20:59

Thats a F-22P frigate docked at Karachi. This is the lot rescued by PN.

Suraj wrote:
SwamyG wrote:Courtesy: Hindustan Times.

I wonder what's the story about the SDRE guy with the TSP flag on the left wearing communal Hindu garland.

SanjayC · Post by **SanjayC** » 17 Apr 2015 21:38

kmkraoind wrote:I wish Govt blocks this John's passport for a period of 5 years, why did this morom did not leave Yeman in Jan or Feb when govt issued advisory?

The same thing happened in Iraq last year -- the kerala nurses kept hanging there till the last minute until the ISIS ran over. (They didn't want to leave in hope of getting unpaid salaries.) And then Mallus in Kerala began to curse Modi for not saving their daughters. Modi Govt. had to use all its international goodwill to get those dames out. Now, the same thing happens in Yemen. Mallus keep hanging till the end and then demand explanation from Modi as to why they were not provided five-star comfort in Navy ship. There needs to be a provision to fine Indians heavily who stay back after the Government has issued an advisory to Indians to get out from a country. There is no other way to make these people learn correct behaviour. Mallus and Bongs have a habit of cooking garbage in their home (communism) and going to neighbour's house to eat (migrating to look for jobs).

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 17 Apr 2015 21:59

^^^ All I can say is too much IT-Vity has cooked your brains.

WASHINGTON, April 15 (UPI) -- Indians working overseas sent more remittances back home than any other migrant population, according to a World Bank report.

India received $70.39 billion in remittances in 2014, surpassing China's $64.14 billion. India's total was greater than remittances to the Philippines, Mexico and Pakistan combined, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Total remittances from U.S.-based Indians was $11.18 billion, meaning 2.25 million Indians in the United States sent an average of $4,968.88 home.

Interestingly, Indians working in the United Arab Emirates sent more money home, an average of $7,222.86 per worker, although UAE-based workers were less affluent and typically work in unskilled jobs.

According to the International Union of the Scientific Study of Population, 70 percent of Indian workers in the Middle East work in blue-collar or unskilled jobs. By contrast, Indians in the United States were more educated – with 30 percent of India-born males in occupations related to information technology.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/ ... 429113881/

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 18 Apr 2015 17:54

Bade wrote:2.25 million Indians in the United States sent an average of $4,968.88 home.
an average of $7,222.86 per worker, although UAE-based workers were less affluent and typically work in unskilled jobs.

The figure maybe a tad misleading

2.25 million should include
- US citizens of Indian origin-who may or may not have incentive to send money "home", since USA is now their "home")
- Indian passport holders- the ones who are most the likely the source of nearly all $11.18 billion in remittances.

So the average of $4,968.88 must be adjusted against these figures.

On the other hand, it must be assumed that nearly all the UAE-based workers remit much of their savings back home.

The article fails to point out how much remittances were received from UAE and how many Indians are working there.

Selective reporting at best.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 18 Apr 2015 17:59

The point is almost all 99% or more of Indians living in the middle east are still Indian citizens and will remain so, and almost all US residents are on their way to become US citizens or permanent residents (almost as good as citizens) in due course.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 18 Apr 2015 18:09

Bade wrote:The point is almost all 99% or more of Indians living in the middle east are still Indian citizens and will remain so, and almost all US residents are on their way to become US citizens or permanent residents (almost as good as citizens) in due course.

No proof of that. Large number of them do come back and are coming back.

99% are Indian citizens indeed. Moreover, Middle Eastern countries have no intention of giving them citizenship that easily. Do they have an alternative?

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 18 Apr 2015 18:17

What fraction are coming back ? Indian origin population has increased from less than a million a decade ago to almost 2-3 million now. But this is getting OT.

Indian citizens getting evacuated from the MEast has good reasons illustrated by their remittances and the fact that they have no intention of changing their passports. They need to be evacuated in a crisis to the extent possible, and if a few criticize the effort so be it, not to cast the entire lot a certain way like a poster did above. The numbers were to show the gent their contribution to the general improvement in quality of life back home due to their contribution.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 18 Apr 2015 18:36

Bade wrote:What fraction are coming back ? Indian origin population has increased from less than a million a decade ago to almost 2-3 million now. But this is getting OT.

Indian citizens getting evacuated from the MEast has good reasons illustrated by their remittances and the fact that they have no intention of changing their passports. They need to be evacuated in a crisis to the extent possible, and if a few criticize the effort so be it, not to cast the entire lot a certain way like a poster did above. The numbers were to show the gent their contribution to the general improvement in quality of life back home due to their contribution.

OT and the last word from me on this- We have no way of knowing their intentions for sure. The fact is that Gulf nations are extremely reluctant when it comes to giving citizenship and that may be a strong reason for Indian expats over there to retains their Indian passports.

They were NOT evacuated because they send back remittances. They were evacuated because they are Indian citizens in need of help, which was duly provided by the mother nation.

I agree that we should not tar everyone with the same brush. But the reported behaviour of some of the evacuees (it was acknowledged by Gen V.K. Singh himself) was inappropriate and shameful indeed and must be condemned.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 18 Apr 2015 18:44

The intention part is had to prove, as the option to change to a local passport does not exist. But they could migrate to another country which has the option. But for the majority of the lot, even such an option does not exist, except for the highly skilled lot with professional degrees. Cultural and language deficiencies keep then in the Indian orbit.

I have a lot family members in the ME and on shq side in the US. The attachment to India is more for ME residents. They even send their kids to India schools and college in India. This was true as far back as the 70s and 80s. They are more Indian than many FOBs in US or the west.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 18 Apr 2015 20:38

Also, in the Gulf, many employers hold the passports of the employees, so they can't leave just like that. There is no way to tell how many of the Yemen evacuees faced that issue and hence stayed back.

Shalav · Post by **Shalav** » 18 Apr 2015 22:27

Sending their children to India for higher education is not a virtue IMHO. It is because for higher education they have to choose between the affordable Indian option or the more expensive US/European option.

Let's not ascribe patriotic motives to people who can't afford better, or else based solely on this argument we'll also have to ascribe unpatriotic motives to those who choose to send their children to the US/Europe.

Economic circumstances are what they are for an individual or family, attributing patriotism to force of circumstance is naive.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 18 Apr 2015 22:41

Yes and no. What you say could be said for India residents too who never left its shores. It could be due to better opportunities within India or even a higher social standing and wealth. For people in this group going abroad to settle permanently is a losing proposition. So patriotism is a consequence of other primary reasons.

All I have claimed is that the unskilled labour in the ME, are more Indian in their cultural moorings, again they have no choice as they are in the low income bracket to lead the lifestyles of the well heeled in Dubai. It is these connections or their unique necessities that their connections to India will be stronger, with or without being ultra-patriotic. In any case, most of them have their wives and kids back in India mostly and have 3-5 yr contracts and head back following that if they cannot find another job.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 18 Apr 2015 23:59

arshyam wrote:Also, in the Gulf, many employers hold the passports of the employees, so they can't leave just like that. There is no way to tell how many of the Yemen evacuees faced that issue and hence stayed back.

Still don;t get why this is a big deal. They are Indian citizens and can appeal to Indian embassy and get new passports no?