New Delhi- Amid rapidly escalating hostilities following military strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on US bases in the Gulf region, concerns are mounting in India over the safety of its vast diaspora. On Sunday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan formally wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing "apprehension" over the situation, while Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra issued a sharp statement criticizing the government's diplomatic posture and demanding the safe return of Indian citizens.
The developments come as official data indicates that nearly 8 million Indians reside in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, many of whom are now in areas of heightened alert following missile and drone attacks
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan highlighted the specific concerns of the people of Kerala, who constitute a significant percentage of the expatriate population in West Asia.
"I write this letter to the Hon'ble Prime Minister to share our apprehension on the situation consequent to the attack on Iran, which is now having its adverse impact in all the countries of the Gulf region. A large number of our nationals, including many from Kerala, are living in the countries of this region and their near and dear and the civil society in general are quite anxious about the situation," the letter, bearing D.O No. 520/2026/CM, reads.
Vijayan urged the Centre to prepare for contingencies, including potential evacuation. "We need to have preparedness to ensure safety of Pravasis, including an action to bring them back safely, if situation demands. I am sure that Government of India will be seriously thinking about this," he stated.
Reaffirming the state government's readiness to assist, the Chief Minister added that Kerala is willing to provide support, "including providing helplines to enable relatives to contact the Pravasis"
In a separate, strongly worded statement, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadora criticized the international strikes and the Indian government's response.
"The targeted assassination of the leadership of a sovereign nation by the so called leaders of the democratic world and the killing of multitudes of innocent people is despicable and deserves strong condemnation, no matter what the proclaimed reason for it is," she said.
Gandhi expressed concern that multiple nations have been "dragged into conflict" and stressed that the world needs peace. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she remarked, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
Taking a direct swipe at the Prime Minister, she added, "I do hope that having genuflected before the Prime Minister of Israel and President Trump, our Prime Minister makes every effort to bring all Indian citizens in the affected countries back home to safety."
The anxiety expressed by leaders back home is mirrored by chaos in the region. Following Iran's retaliatory strikes on US military facilities across the Gulf, residents in the UAE reported missile debris falling in residential areas. According to reports from Abu Dhabi, debris impacted locations on Saadiyat Island, near the St Regis hotel, and in Khalifa City .
Aviation has been severely disrupted. Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest, was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, with nearly 260 flights from the Gulf region cancelled .
Sukesh Nair, described the panic situation to The Mooknayak from Behrain. "Whole night we are watching the strikes, missiles struck a US Base in Bahrain, super close to our apartment, like 200mtrs away. Food supplies have been stocked up, tension prevails among the Indian diaspora, especially Keralites who are large in numbers here."
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