Indian Citizen Faces 18-Hour Ordeal at Shanghai Airport
In a disturbing incident that has escalated diplomatic tensions, Chinese immigration authorities detained an Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport on November 21. The detention occurred after officials allegedly refused to recognize her valid Indian passport because it listed her birthplace as Arunachal Pradesh.
The Harrowing Experience Unfolds
Pema Wang Thongdok, who was traveling from London to Japan with a transit stop in Shanghai, found herself in an unexpected confrontation with Chinese immigration officers. The officials declared her passport "invalid" and insisted that Arunachal Pradesh was "part of China" and therefore could not appear as a birthplace on an Indian document.
In a series of social media posts detailing her ordeal, Thongdok revealed that immigration officers seized her passport and blocked her from boarding her onward flight despite her holding a valid Japanese visa. She described being denied access to food and other basic facilities during her detention.
More alarmingly, Thongdok alleged that officials repeatedly mocked her and suggested she should apply for a Chinese passport instead. The situation worsened when China Eastern Airlines staff forced her to purchase a fresh ticket on their airline before returning her passport, resulting in significant financial losses due to missed flights and hotel bookings.
Diplomatic Intervention and Resolution
Through a friend in the United Kingdom, Thongdok managed to contact the Indian consulate in Shanghai. The consular intervention eventually proved successful, allowing her to exit the airport late that night and continue her journey after the prolonged detention.
Calling the incident a direct affront to India's sovereignty, Thongdok has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials to raise the matter diplomatically with Beijing and ensure accountability. She specifically urged that protections be put in place for citizens from Arunachal Pradesh, who often face complications due to China's territorial claims over the region.
Broader Implications and Political Reactions
The episode has triggered sharp responses online and renewed debate on China's longstanding assertion over Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing refers to as "Zangnan" or the southern part of Tibet. This incident follows China's earlier release of Chinese names for 27 places in Arunachal Pradesh, a move that New Delhi had firmly rejected.
The Ministry of External Affairs had stated in May that such renaming exercises were "vain and preposterous" and emphasized that "creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."
Political parties have reacted strongly to the Shanghai airport incident. The Congress party, in a social media post, demanded that the Modi government lodge a strong objection with China, stating: "This kind of treatment cannot be tolerated with any Indian." The party specifically called for a firm response to what they characterized as unacceptable behavior toward an Indian citizen.
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between India and China over territorial claims and underscores the practical difficulties faced by Indian citizens from border regions when traveling internationally.
