Jaipur: Rajasthan Police’s special helpline, set up on Wednesday to assist Indians caught in the Nepal unrest, has already received over 41 distress calls. Officials estimate that nearly 500 people from Jaipur travelled to Nepal, many in large pilgrimage groups.“With coordination from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, arrangements for lodging and transportation are being made,” an official said. “On Wednesday alone, around 36 calls were received. None were from individuals—most are travelling in groups of 50 to 100. The state home department is tracking real-time information.”For families back home, however, the anxiety remains. Ramniwas Chopra from Bagru said his parents, Rameshwar Chopra and Kailashi Devi, left on Aug 28 with 33 others for a pilgrimage to Vrindavan and Mathura before flying from Jaipur to Kathmandu on Sept 8—just as the unrest erupted.“They got stuck at the Kathmandu airport and spent two nights there,” Ramniwas told TOI. “We contacted authorities in Rajasthan, and on Thursday we were relieved to learn that the Indian embassy arranged buses to move Indians towards the border. My parents told me they are finally being shifted out.”BJP MLA from Bagru, Kailash Verma, confirmed that several groups from Jaipur are stranded. “People from Bagru, Titariya, Dehmi Kalan, and nearby villages have gone on pilgrimage to Nepal. I am compiling a list of all those affected,” he said. Verma said that Rameshwar described a scene of horror in the country. “I spoke to him over the phone, and he said that several Indians who stepped out of the airport to go to Pashupatinath temple had to find a safe refuge due to unrest as roads were blocked and some vehicles were also charred,” Verma said.The helpline numbers—0141-2740832 and 0141-2741807, with WhatsApp support on 97849-42702—remain active for families seeking updates.
