"Hoping for a proper response from the Indian Embassy in Berlin or from Air India is like expecting rain in Rayalaseema."
That was one of the sarcastic messages I read on the WhatsApp group created by some Indian expatriates in Germany wishing to fly home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 7, the union government had launched the 'Vande Bharat Mission' to repatriate Indians stuck in different parts of the globe. The mission was started with flights from the Gulf countries. The first flight from Germany departed on May 28 and the second on 29. The other flights are scheduled for the coming weeks.
Being an aspirant to come home, I too joined the WhatsApp group, my first foray into a public social media group. Over the days, I realised how anxious and panicked people are. We are ready to buy any hopes and promises however unrealistic that might be. I also understood how lack of coordination between Air India and the Indian Embassy made lives of Indians miserable at the time of COVID pandemic.
Glitches in the list
The passengers' list prepared by the embassy had many glitches. Sample this. A husband and wife were able to find a place in the list, but their one-and-a- half-year-old child was not.
That was not all. The selected people's joy was short-lived until they contacted the Air India office to purchase tickets. "The flights are full," is the reply from the Air India officials.
The embassy officials appeared clueless about the flights while Air India disseminated little information about the schedule and passengers.
Fleecing passengers
Though the government termed it as a repatriation mission, Indians in Germany shelled exorbitant amount - three times the normal - for the tickets. The current one-way fare is Rs 56,000. Remember, this was Rs 20,000 before the arrival of COVID. This is unaffordable for a family of four or a student on loan.
Air India had opened ticket bookings before the centre decided on the repatriation. This saw panic buying of the tickets, but the carrier could not operate services because of India's decision to stop international flights. But Air India has not paid the money back to customers. It neither gave coupons for future bookings, complained many members in the WhatsApp group. Instead, Air India offered 30-35% reduction on this new ticket money. Meaning, now, one way ticket of those booked earlier would cost between Rs 80,000 and 90,000.
'Waiting-Germany-to-India'
It pains and sometimes vicariously amuses to see the hopes and frustration of the people. It's a roller-coaster ride. Someone gets really irked after a great amount of waiting and praying and floods his emotions against the government in the WhatsApp group. Voila, from nowhere in no time a pro-government person pops up and sermons that no other country in the world is evacuating people. Even though you know it is a fake news thread, you let it go lest the main agenda of returning to India might get hurt. One can starkly sense the fear to talk against authorities even inside a WhatApp group is certainly Orwellian.
Gradually the hopes are diminishing. When it was created, the group's name was 'Germany to India'. Now as the faith erodes, the name has been changed into 'Waiting-Germany-to India'. I am curiously waiting what would be the upcoming change.
It is indeed grim times for all. One has to complete multiple things before leaving Germany. From closing bank accounts to terminate insurance; wrapping up house contracts to submit and secure documents from the universities etc. Being a little infamous for strict rules and huge fines for missed dates, life in Germany is complicated. When writing this, I am left with 48 hours to find another place to stay as I have to vacate the current place. If I don't find an alternative I will be sleeping under the open skies: perhaps enjoying a German summer on an empty stomach.
A member of the WhatsApp group shared his concerns about the transparency of choosing the people. The government has to be moved to disclose the final list of names and the reasons for selecting them. After all, he hopelessly observed, being proud Indians we all are aware about the preferences given to certain groups and sections of the society.
Not giving proper guidelines will only create havoc and thwarting situations. One member told me jokingly: "If they don't give any information to us, the only thing left for us to do is floating misinformation and giving them a taste of their own medicine." He has reason. The indignation is piling up in such a manner that, if the matters are not dealt with, Indian Embassy in Berlin might witness a crowd of people outside it in the upcoming days.
(The author is one of the editors of Kannada literary portal Ruthumana. He is currently studying computational linguistics in Stuttgart Germany. Views expressed are personal.)