Rajasthan: People who booked tickets to US are in a fix

JAIPUR: Jodhpur resident 85-year-old Pushpa Kumari Bhandari is alone while her three married sons and daughter-in-laws are based in New York. She plans to visit her sons as well as attend a medical emergency in July. However, the recent travel ban by the US has forced her at home.
TOI on Wednesday spoke to few people whose family members are settled in the US.
“We had visited her prior to Covid when cases had started dipping in January and February. She was planning to visit us in July. Now, due to the restrictions, it is not clear whether she can come. Let’s hope there are some relaxations before July,” Chander Singh Bhandari, son of Pushpa Kumari, told TOI from New York.
Similarly Shweta Kaushik, a homemaker settled at Pennsylvania, is expecting a child by mid-July. She is hoping that her mother based at Jalore will come. “We got her tickets booked in Feburary and urged her to get vaccinated. But it is not clear whether she would be allowed to fly by first week of July. We need her at the time of delivery,” said Himanshu Kaushik, Shweta’s husband, who works as a financial consultant in a US-based company.
Prem Bhandari, a social activist who had played an instrumental role in getting relaxation in Visa travel restrictions for OCI card holders said, “It is not just about fellow Rajasthanis. Since I am settled in the US for more than 34 years, I know parents visit from India bring cheers their families settled in the United States. I would request President of the United States and their embassy and also the Indian government to give some relaxations.”