Kashmiris returning from outside nations facing a hard time

SRINAGAR — Bushra Bazaz (named changed) arrived in Srinagar on March 16 from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah. She and her husband besides other family members were in the same flight which was boarded by 67-year-old woman from Srinagar’s Khanyar area who tested positive for Coronavirus on March 18.

Having stayed at home for six days, the administration summoned them along with other persons from Srinagar, 29 in all, who had boarded the same flight.

They were later taken to a hotel in Srinagar and kept along with a group of students who arrived from Bangladesh.

As they protested against “lack of amenities” at the hotel, otherwise known for better services, the administration removed them to a hotel in Gulmarg, over 50 kilometres from Srinagar, in a bus.

“After travelling together in a bus to Gulmarg which is very far away from our residence, we have been kept in a hotel which seems is not dusted for ages. There are no facilities for us,” Bushra says.

“When we arrived at Srinagar Airport on March 16, we were made to fill up a form and were told to report if there were symptoms like cough or difficulty in breathing etc,” she said and added, “Later, we were allowed to go home.”

All of a sudden, she says, the family members and others on board the flight were summoned after six-day-long delay.

“We were kept in a hotel along with students who arrived from Bangladesh and apparently from other countries. The hotel offered no facility and its staff kept running from us,” she said, adding, “Now, we have been taken to Gulmarg which is very cold and chances are we may develop other diseases.”

The hotel where they have been kept, she says, has “no facilities at all.” On top of it, some staff in the hotel has left as they came to know that “we are being kept for quarantine.”

“If God forbid,” she says, any one of those kept in hotel was suffering from Coronavirus, they all would contract the disease which has already claimed over thirteen thousand lives globally.

“The condition of the hotel is obnoxious with dust and only dust around. There are no facilities,” she said, adding, “The government claims that it is following WHO guidelines and nobody in wild imagination would imagine such a compliance with these guidelines.”

A woman, whose relatives were kept in Srinagar before they were removed to Gulmarg, protested earlier in the day and alleged that “they were not given any food for entire night nor was the family allowed to provide them food.”

District administration Srinagar claimed to have requisitioned 65 “well-equipped” hotels and government accommodations for quarantine purposes. “1166 citizens arriving back from Bangladesh and other countries – so far – have been shifted to 20 of these facilities.”

District Magistrate, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, said that officers have been asked to ensure comfortable quarantine of returnees from outside countries. “Lapses (will) lead to strict action against the concerned. Meanwhile, more funds released for the purpose,” he tweeted.