The Indian Government has been trying to bring home Indians stranded abroad. Special flights were started for the purpose. Called the Vande Bharat Mission, Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express operated international flights from May 7 onwards to repatriate stranded Indians from abroad. The first phase was from May 7 to May 16, post which the second phase was launched.

While many were thankful to be back and secure in their homeland, the airline staff that included stewardess, flight captains, stewards etc. had a bitter pill to swallow. Even though the staff ensured passengers’ health, welfare, medical needs, and safety, on their own home ground they faced vicious ostracization with society neighbours and landlords making them feel more like criminals  than frontline warriors. 

Mithila, a  23-year-old air hostesses based in Mumbai was one of the frontline workers during the initial phase and was quarantined for 15 days along with her family on her return. Now that she has been called back to serve, she is suffering from a dilemma whether to continue or not. 

While talking about her experience she said, “We were technically safer than anyone who was at home because all the staff was checked in and out every single day. All of us were scared of what might happen, but we brought so many people back home. But apart from those passengers and their families, there weren’t many who recognized our service. Instead, there were rumours in my society that I was infected and the secretary called the police who stamped me without even listening to what I had to say. I was like an untouchable in my own society amongst my own people.

My society watchman was ordered not to let any domestic help or deliveries come to our flat, even though as per the government norms and the lockdown rules, we could avail the services of a maid by the time the quarantine phase was over. But our soceity RWA refused any domestic help for us even without knowing whether we were COVID positive or not. While others residents were allowed to go down for a walk, my parents were stopped and sent back in to our flat. But our flat was marked out and no services were given to us. We  had to go down till the main gate of the society to pick up any deliveries including groceries while for the other residents groceries were being sent upto their individual flats. Still I didn't mind that and that would’ve been fine but one of our own neighbours clicked our photos and posted them on the society WhatsApp group labelling us, coronavirus carriers, infected spreaders, quarantine flat members and what-not.

The entire experience was horrible. We felt caged. I tried to reason with the RWA that we had fulfilled our requisite quarantine time period and had no symptoms at all which indicated that we were healthy, but they would not listen to me. Just because of my job all conveniences were taken away and we were locked up. It was especially traumatic for my old parents who felt pressured and stressed. My mom's BP shot through the roof because of it. My dad decided to give in and became quiet and forlorn as if he had lost a battle.

Was my job of bringing back the passengers safely back home a crime? Though my society members did not ask us to move out of the apartment, unlike with some of my other colleagues, whatever they did was more than just humiliating all the same. 

I am very proud and fortunate that I was one of the many who helped people in this pandemic, it indeed was a heroic effort of our whole Air India crew. But with all that I have faced in the past few days, I don’t know if I am ready to go back to work again… I have literally suffered during the quarantine period and made my family suffer too. We did not get enough groceries, we were trying to make do with whatever we had. A few of my friends helped get groceries for us and left them at the door - but am I ready to face this stigma all over again???