Trapped in New Jersey, pvt firm official seeks more return flights to India

Ludhiana: Stranded in New Jersey for the past two months, Sandeep Singh, a 30-year-old marketing director in a private firm in Ludhiana, has finally got some hope of returning to Punjab following Union government’s decision to send flights to bring back stranded Indians. But he is still not sure if he would be able to come back so soon.
He had gone to the US on a business assignment.
“I am glad that at least the Government of India has taken an initiative. But, 64 flights are too less to bring back everybody. After trying to contact the Indian embassy in New York for the past several days, I managed to get hold of them on Thursday. They told if they select me (based on the information I have filled in the form), then they will contact me further. This means that if I don’t fall in their criteria, they will leave me here and prefer others. I don’t know what criteria they have,” says the resident of Malerkotla road.
Sandeep, who interacted with TOI over mail, said he went to the US in March when “all of sudden” Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown in the country without giving any chance to people to return home (domestic and international).
“I came here alone on a visitor visa to attend a meeting on behalf of my company. Luckily, I knew one family — Anita Saini and Jorawar Singh — in the USA who helped me in this worst situation and gave me space in their basement. They are like life-savers for me,” Sandeep said.
“I am in New Jersey which is the second worst-hit state in US after New York. Life is different here. Essential stores are open. Things turn from bad to worse when you hear police sirens or ambulance sirens all around you. You feel distressed and unsafe. Living away from my family in a small 10x10 basement is too depressing and at times claustrophobic,” he added.
“I felt sick with anxiety and had to visit a doctor one day. He gave me anxiety medicine which helps me to sleep,” Sandeep said.
Sandeep said staying in such countries without a vehicle is a big problem. He had not bought a bicycle to go to the nearest grocery store which is four miles away. He said eating from local restaurants has been too expensive for him, but somehow he has been coping with it so far.
“I have two minor daughters who are in India. My wife tries every day to talk to Indian consulate, but they tell her to contact the Indian consulate in the US. That is what I do every day,” he added. “I think Indian consulate is giving preference to people in extreme situations and ignoring others who are somehow managing on their own,” Sandeep said.
“Indian consulate definitely should arrange more flights for people like us so that we could go back at the earliest. How long we can manage on our own,” he said.