Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 12 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal welcomed the second batch of Indian fishermen at Chennai International Airport after their successful evacuation from Iran amid ongoing conflict conditions in the region.

Speaking to reporters at the airport on Saturday, Goyal said the evacuation was carried out following directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with coordinated efforts by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Indian missions abroad to relocate the stranded fishermen from Iran to Armenia before bringing them back to India.

'Our Prime Minister gave instructions to the Foreign Ministry, and they worked very hard to move them from Iran to Armenia. From Armenia, we got some good people to support us in getting them back because they are very poor fishermen. In the first batch, 345 came. Today, 300+ came. The Prime Minister has always cared for all the people who are stuck in any crisis. This once again demonstrates how much he cares for our fishermen who were unfortunately stuck in the middle of the war in Iran. They have been brought out from right inside Iran,' Goyal said.

He further informed that over 600 Indian fishermen have been safely brought back from Iran so far, with the assistance of Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia. The returnees include fishermen primarily from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala and Puducherry.

'It is a delight to welcome back our brave fishermen who were in the middle of the war in Iran. They have been able to come back to India with the help of the embassy in Iran and the embassy in Armenia. In the first plane, 345 fishermen had come back, mostly from Tamil Nadu. Today, we have more than 300 fishermen who have come back. The majority are from Tamil Nadu, many are from Gujarat, and some are from Kerala and Puducherry. They had gone to Iran to make a living, mostly from the southern part of the country. They come from different districts like Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, and Nagapattinam, as well as Pudukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, and many other districts across the coastline. The fishermen from Gujarat are mostly from Valsad in the Surat region,' he said.

Goyal also praised the coordinated diplomatic efforts of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his team, stating that they ensured the safety of Indian citizens from the very beginning of the crisis.

'From the first day when the war started, the Foreign Minister, a son of the soil from Tamil Nadu, Jaishankar and his team were in touch with the fishermen, making sure they were safe. The embassy brought them together in Armenia, and we have made arrangements for the plane to get them to India. They may belong to different parts of Bharat, but what binds them together is 'Mahabharat,' the Tricolour, our national flag, and the love and affection of 140 crore Indians who were eagerly waiting for their brothers to come back from the war in Iran,' the Union Minister said.

A fisherman from Kanyakumari district, Silvester, who was among those repatriated, expressed relief after returning home, saying the evacuation brought them safety and comfort.

'Now we feel safe and happy. Our Modi government has helped us greatly. Without them, we couldn't have reached here. They helped us a lot; they even gave us good, decent food,' he told ANI. (ANI)