COVID-19: Indian-Americans offer free accommodation to stranded Indian students

The Indian-American community is giving some ray of hope to the Indian students who are stranded in the United States due to a lockdown imposed in countries to contain COVID-19.

A group of hoteliers and small business owners of Indian heritage have opened their hearts and offered free accommodation in their hotels and homes to those Indian students stranded in the US, in the aftermath of the lockdown measures undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the spread of the contagious infection.

The hoteliers first floated the idea through a social networking group that included only four members. But the idea gradually picked up momentum with other hoteliers who also pitched in later and opened doors to students finding trouble in returning home.

From Los Angeles to Hawaii and New York, the Indian-American community has managed to rope in 5,000 plus rooms offering free stay.

The Indian Embassy has been running a round-the-clock helpline for Indians citizens in the US. Anyone who contacts the Indian mission after verification can then contact the hoteliers.

A Boston-based hotelier, Neerav Patel told ANI, "Those in need have to contact the Indian Embassy's helpline, who will then contact the hoteliers and the hotels who are donating their room for this cause. We will provide them shelter once we have the information."

India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu said in a tweet, "It is heartening to see that Indian; Indian-American and other hotel owners are coming forward to help people with accommodation in these testing times. Together we can overcome the fight against COVID19!"