Daijiworld Media Network - Doha (MS)

Doha, Jun 19: First flight from Doha Qatar to Mangaluru, under the Vande Bharat Mission has left the city at 12 noon on Friday, June 19. There are 180 passengers on the flight including five infant.

The Air India Express flight left Hamad International Airport in Doha at 12 noon (Qatar time) and is expected to reach Mangaluru International Airport at 6.25 pm IST.

Kannadigas of Qatar have expressed their thanks to chief minister B S Yediyurappa and union minister D V Sadananda Gowda, state BJP president and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, chief secretary to chief minister Ravi Kumar, special officer Karnataka government Karthik K R, Meena Nagaraj, IAS officer, nodal officer for Recurring Activities, Deepthi, Foreign Ministry, New Delhi, and Qatar's chief business ambassador P Kumaran. Indian ambassadors to Qatar and B Y Raghavendra, MP Shivamogga and officials of embassy for their continuous support.

Mahesh Gowda, vice-president of Benevolent Forum for NRIs living in Qatar and joint secretary Subramanya Hebbagalu helped in completing the registration process. ICBF Mahesh Gowda, ICBF, Nageshraya, president Karnataka Sangha Qatar and other people put in their efforts in arranging this flight.

Indian embassy prepared the list of passengers to be flown in the flight. The mortal remains of a Mangalurean driver, who died on Saturday June 6 due to heart attack is also sent by the same flight.

In coming days, more chartered flight to Bengaluru from Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) and Karnataka Sangha can be expected. ICBF also provided flight ticket to a worker who is suffering from kidney problem.

All Karnataka origin associations in Qatar like Karnataka Sangha, Karnataka Muslim Cultural Association, Mangalore Cricket Club, Bunts Qatar, Mangalore Cultural Association and Qatar Billavas had jointly sent appeals to union ministers, chief minister of Karnataka, ministers, MLAs and MPs of the state. Moreover, on personal front, people like Deepak Shetty Qatar and others were continuously in touch with people representatives. Vande Bharat Doha Karnataka committee also appealed in this regard. Indian embassy had also responded positively and appealed to the Indian foreign ministry. Former minister Jayaprakash Hegde also came to the rescue of Kannadigas of Qatar during this difficult time.

The person who came to the rescue of Kannadigas of Qatar during this difficult time was none other than Jayaprakash Hegde. He spoke to the ministers of the state and country for the first two days and understood the situation that was prevailing. Hegde is the perfect example that there is no need for a politician to be in power to get the work done. If there is a will there is a way is the principle followed by Jayaprakash Hegde.

Deepak Shetty, president, Bunts Qatar, says, "I salute Jayaprakash Hegde, along with other Kannadigas in Qatar. I also thank Indian embassy in Qatar and members of Vande Bharat Doha Karnataka committee Nagesh Rao, Sandeep Reddy, Shashidhar Hebbal and Khalil, who worked relentlessly along with me in preparing the list of passengers to be flown on the first flight.

"So far two Vande Bharat mission flights and one ICBF-KSQ chartered flight has gone to Karnataka from Qatar. We need many flights in order to take thousands of Kannadigas waiting in Qatar to go to India. I request all the people representatives, including Jayaprakash Hegde to cooperate with us and give us an opportunity to come back to our motherland."