NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recently concluded visit to Doha (December 30th to January 1st) has raised hopes of the return of the eighth Indian naval veteran.It may be recalled that Commander Purnendu Tiwari was the only one amongst the eight Indian naval veterans held captive in Doha who hasn’t been allowed to return to India due to a travel ban.It’s been 11 months since the other seven were sent back to India (February 12th, 2024) but Commander Tiwari has had no such luck.While there is no clarity on whether his return was amongst the things discussed during the recent visit of the EAM to Doha, his family back home in India are keeping their fingers crossed.”His 86-year-old mother is unwell and is awaiting the return of her son back to India like his seven other colleagues. Since she isn’t in a position to travel to Doha, she is hoping that he would be allowed to return,” said a person close to Commander Tiwari’s family in India.“The 8th naval veteran needs to fulfill certain requirements before he can return to India,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson on November 29th, 2024. Until those requirements are fulfilled, his travel ban will remain. The big question is how much longer it will take to facilitate his return to India.
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