India-based TT students: ‘We are so happy to be home’

FIVE TT students who were studying in India are happy and grateful after returning home on Tuesday evening.

The group arrived in Agra, India last August after earning scholarships to do a nine-month Hindi course. They were supposed to return home on May 2.

After weeks of writing to and pleading with the National Security Ministry, they were granted an exemption on June 29. The announcement was made by National Security Minister Stuart Young at the Health Ministry’s virtual press briefing.

In a release on Sunday, the ministry confirmed that the students had been granted their “final letters of exemption.”

They flew from New Delhi to Mumbai, then London. After this, they went to Barbados for a flight to TT, along with two cruise ship crew members and a TT national who was in the UK.

The students were tested for covid19 in London and all results were negative. In addition, they said a “good Samaritan,” after seeing their story, offered free accommodation while they were in London.

Speaking with Newsday on Wednesday morning, one student – Vishala Sewdat – said the flight was great.

“(I’m) just so happy to be back. The quarantine centre has lovely staff and is really comfortable…We got our tests done this morning.”

Another student,Tarun Maharaj, said, “All went smoothly. We are housed at the Home of Football in Couva. The place here is really nice…

"The feeling is so overwhelming that I can’t find words to describe.”

They arrived in TT at approximately 6 pm on Tuesday.

A number of TT nationals – including a group of nine footballers – remain stuck in India.