Anxiety Overwhelms Families As Id Fast Approaches

Hyderabad: As uncertainty deepens amid the ongoing war in West Asia, anxiety is rising among families in Hyderabad and their relatives working in the Gulf countries ahead of Eid al-Fitr later this week.

Many expats who plan to return to their countries for the festival and weddings to be held immediately after the festival cannot travel due to flight disruptions. As a result, families are planning to postpone the marriages or solemnize the marriage through a Power of Attorney (PoA) authorized and attested by the Indian Embassy.

“People who have already applied are approaching me and calling me to suggest provisions for this scenario. I have explained the provisions to families whose relatives are in the Gulf and have not yet received a call through an authorized Power of Attorney to postpone or proceed with the Marriage.

Before his ID, the Qatar-based Hyderabad native was trying to travel through Saudi Arabia and was having trouble getting a ticket. While he was exploring options, he asked for my opinion on postponing the Nikah,” said Qazi Uzair, vice president of Qazi and legal advisor at Qila Mohammed Nagar Barah Mahal.

Those desperate to return are paying more than Rs 1.5 lakh for flight tickets from Hyderabad to Dubai, which in normal times cost between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000. Some travelers try to return via neighboring countries.

“Thousands of people are stranded as there are hardly any flights from Dubai at the moment. They take a taxi to Muscat, spending around 3000 dirhams (UAE), get a visa on arrival for 150 dirhams and spend around 3000 dirhams on flight tickets to India. Moreover, most of these flights are either to Bengaluru or other eastern cities,” said a Dubai-based NRI.

Families in Hyderabad say concerns about the safety of their relatives in the Gulf countries have overshadowed their identity preparations.

Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez, whose son works for a Europe-based company, said: “People have changed priorities. Those preparing for ID now pray for the well-being of their relatives in Gulf countries. Although relatives in countries like Dubai try to reassure people back home, they remain worried as the missiles hit and debris falls. The biggest victims of this war are their dependents and poor relatives who have financial prospects as remittances have been badly affected this year.” company in Dubai.

Socio-political activist Ilyas Shamsi has urged the state and central governments to prepare an evacuation plan for Indians stranded in the Gulf countries. “Most of the people stranded in Dubai are workers who cannot return home due to exorbitant flight fares. State and central governments embroiled in the LPG crisis should also consider making arrangements to transport those stranded in Gulf countries by air,” he said.