Hong Kong diamantaires arrange special flight to bring back their kin stranded in Surat

Surat: It was a big day for Richa Khunt and her two kids. After remaining stranded for four months at her in-laws house in Surat’s Katargam, Richa flew to Hong Kong to be with her diamantaire husband, Bipin Khunt, in a private chartered flight from Mumbai. Richa is not an isolated case.
About 326 people from 125 families, especially women and children of the diamantaires settled in Hong Kong, were repatriated in the private chartered Boeing-777 aircraft arranged by the diamantaires from Mumbai to Hong Kong on Monday.
“I can’t express my emotions at this point of time. From last four months, myself and my kids were waiting for this big day to reach Hong Kong. We had come to stay at our in-laws house in Katargam in February, but could not return back to Hong Kong due to the lockdown and frequent cancellation of flights,” said Richa, who reached Mumbai international airport with her kids in the afternoon to board the chartered flight, which departed at 9pm.
Vijay Sheth, a Hong Kong-based diamantaire told TOI, “A month ago, we took up the mission to bring our family members back to Hong Kong. It took a lot of efforts and man-hours to get special permission from the governments in Hong Kong and India for the private chartered flight to bring back 326 family members from Surat. Finally, we got the permission from both the governments and we booked a Boeing-777 from Mumbai to Hong Kong.”
Sheth added, “Due to the lockdown in Hong Kong, the flight operations are still suspended and they are allowing flights in special cases. The Hong Kong government has arranged special quarantine facility for 14 days for all the 326 passengers coming from Surat and that they will be provided with food, medicines and other required medical care. ”
Kiran Patel, who is employed in the Dharmanandan Diamonds’s Hong Kong office told TOI, “I have not seen my wife and kids since January 14. They had gone to Surat to spend holidays and were stuck due to the lockdown. All the diamantaires in Hong Kong took the decision to bring family members back in the chartered flight and it was successful.”
Harsha Mangukiya, another stranded wife of a diamantaires in Surat told TOI, “I had come with my 12-year-old son and husband to spend holidays at our house in Surat in December. My husband went back to Hong Kong by end of February and we were stuck in Surat after the lockdown. Almost after six months, I will be going to Hong Kong to my house. I am so excited.”