SILCHAR, June 9 - Kabir Ahmed of Karimganj, Ayed Hussain of Dudhpatil in Cachar were among the 180 residents of Assam, stranded in Mumbai since the nationwide lockdown, to reach home safely on Tuesday courtesy the arrangements done by Bollywood actor Sonu Sood.
It was Sood�s noble gesture to make fooding and lodging arrangements for the stranded people in Mumbai and also facilitate their homecoming via a chartered Air Asia flight I5 9165 that reached Silchar airport at 12:15 pm.
The passengers including 134 from Hailakandi, ,40 from Hojai and three each from Cachar and Karimganj have poured their wishes and blessings for the actor and wished that Sood achieves all success and happiness in life. There were four female passengers including a four-year-old as well.
Kabir Ahmed said, �Sood sir has been like our parent taking care of us all amidst such a crisis.� Ayed Hussain terms the actor no less than a messiah at rescue. The youths, most of whom were working in Pune, shared their feelings saying Sood had come to the Mumbai airport to see them off with wishes and posed for selfies as well.
Earlier talking to The Assam Tribune, Sonu Sood said, �I am glad to have organised food and shelter for people who had tweeted me in distress. They will be able to reach back home in Assam and I am happy to be able to do my bit for them. I thank people of Assam and North East for all the love. Now I have a reason to visit North East and once I come, I would love to enjoy the delicious food of Assam and enjoy the culture of North East.�
Meanwhile, sources at the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at Silchar airport, in a press release said that the flight I5 9166 went back to Mumbai at 1:05 pm as a �ferry flight�. �The AAI, Silchar Airport ensured coordination between all the agencies for smooth handling of the relief flight. Also, taking this opportunity, AAI, Silchar requested Air Asia India to start operations at Silchar on a regular basis. AAI, Silchar Airport assures all necessary cooperation in this regard,� a senior AAI official mentioned in the release.
Cachar ADC Sumit Sattwan informed that another flight SG 3218 reached Silchar from Kolkata with 60 passengers including 47 from Cachar, 10 from Karimganj and three from Hailakandi. All air travellers of other districts were sent to their home districts while persons from Cachar were sent on mandatory institutional quarantine, he said.
