China’s stapled visa for Arunachalees | Gao seeks acceptable solution from the GoI

Move collectively: APPSU

Meanwhile, referring to Gao’s plea to GoI to  stapled visa issue that makes Arunachalees ‘second grade’ though Indian citizens, All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union president Hawa Bagang and GS Tobom Dai said the issue has always been a matter of great concern which has been raised by AAPSU at different platforms since long, albeit yet to get any attention.

The AAPSU, which had submitted memorandums to President of India, union ministers including HM and had apprised the GoAP, urged other state representatives in Parliament to raise the issue collectively in greater interest of state’s indigenous people.

By Pradeep Kumar

NEW DELHI, July 21: Drawing attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Arunachalees are issued stapled visas by Chinese government and they are not allowed by airport authorities in India to go to China either to pursue higher education or taking part sports events, Lok Sabha member Tapir Gao sough permanent solution to this nagging problem.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour with Speaker Om Birla on chair, Gao said that Indian authorities refusing to accept Chinese stapled visa regrettably amounted to treating Arunachleees as “second class citizen” though Arunachal Pradesh attained statehood 32 years ago as an indivisible part of India.

This matter should be taken up with Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to visit India soon for a permanent acceptable solution to remove the feeling of Arunachalees, Gao said. He is right as China issuing stapled to Jammu & Kashmir people despite strong protest by India had expanded its visa regime for Arunachal Pradesh people in 2011.

Stapled visas: Indian Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) joint secretary Abraham K Techi and a noted Arunachalee weightlifter were to leave for Beijing on 12.01.11 at the invitation of Chinese Weightlifting Association president Menguang to take part in three-day China Weightlifting Grand Prix in Fujian province scheduled to begin from January 15. The duo was shocked in the wee hours at New Delhi’s international airport during as the officials had turned down their stapled visas issued by the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi.

The Chinese embassy official, when contacted, had told Techi that “right visa was issued to Arunachalees”. “This is an insult and unnecessary harassment to Arunachalees,” Techi had reacted in anguish while talking to this editor.  Former parliamentarian Kiren Rijiju, on the eve of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit, in a letter to then PM Manmohan Singh had requested to take up stapled visa issue with him officially.

Chinese claims over Arunachal territories, a key component of the longstanding boundary dispute with India — had come in the way of bilateral interactions in May 2007 with China had denied visa to senior IAS officer Ganesh Koyu, a member of the 107 strong IAS officers’ team on a management programme to China. A study visit to Beijing and Shanghai, part of a programme to learn more about Chinese economic growth and policies, was cancelled at the intervention of the PM because of Beijing’s refusal to grant visa to Koyu.

China had intriguingly granted visa to Marpe Sora, an Arunachal-born faculty of Rajiv Gandhi University in December 2007. However, contrary to Beijing’s claim over Arunachal, four Chinese engineers – Li Yangbing, Fu Haidong, Cao Xingshen and Yan Zhiging – had come to Kharsang in Changlang district of this state in May 2008 with Indian visa and Protected Area Permit to work in Oil India Corporation oil field. The engineers were to work till July 20, but at the imitative of this editor and PTI bureau chief P B Dasguta, Rijiju had ensured the Chinese to leave the state.

Describing the issuing of stapled visa to Arunachalees as an insult not only to the Arunachalees, who are staunch nationalists, but to the entire country, then BJP national general secretary Tapir Gao had castigated the UPA Govt for its weak-kneed policy on China and had assured this editor to take up the issue with top BJP leaders for registering protest. Will it end staled visa regime as Gao himself a BJP MP and his party ruling in the Centre and the state now?

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