SHANGHAI/NEW DELHI, 24 November (H.S.): An Indian national born in Arunachal Pradesh was subjected to a prolonged, 18-hour ordeal of detention and mental harassment by Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport last week.
The officials allegedly declared her Indian passport invalid, repeatedly claiming that her birthplace, Arunachal Pradesh, is a part of China.Pema Wangzom Thongdok, a UK resident, was traveling from London to Japan on November 21 and had a scheduled three-hour layover in Shanghai.
According to her account, she was publicly singled out by an official at the immigration counter, who then informed her that her passport was invalid because of her birthplace. When I asked how my passport could not be valid, the official simply stated, 'Arunachal is a part of China. Your passport is invalid', Thongdok reported.
What was meant to be a brief transit turned into a harrowing 18-hour detention. Thongdok alleges that her passport was confiscated and she was denied boarding for her connecting flight to Japan, despite having a valid visa. During this time, she was denied access to clear information, food, and airport facilitie. She further accused multiple immigration officers and China Eastern Airlines staff of mocking her, with some suggesting she should apply for a Chinese passport.
She was eventually pressured to purchase a new ticket on China Eastern, which led to significant financial losses.The ordeal ended only after Thongdok managed to contact the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK. Indian officials intervened and ensured her safe departure from China on a late-night flight.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officials, Thongdok described the incident as a direct insult to India's sovereignty and to the citizens of Arunachal Pradesh. She has urged the Government of India to formally protest the matter with Beijing and demand accountability, disciplinary action against the involved personnel, and compensation for her financial losses and distress.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
