Zafri Mudasser Nofil
The contentious matter of China issuing stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh for travelling to that country is likely to linger on as Beijing is yet to make a commitment that it would not resort to such a practice again.
Talks at the highest level between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang failed to yield any results with both sides sticking to their respective stands.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and says residents from the northeastern state do not need visas to travel to the country. It is for that reason that they issue stapled visas. India objects to issuance of stapled visas for any of its nationals wanting to proceed to China. It feels allowing citizens to travel on stapled visas would be tantamount to recognising China’s territorial claims.
During Singh’s recent visit to China, the issue of stapled visas to two Indian women archers from Arunachal Pradesh by the Chinese Embassy in Delhi was raised during the discussions with Li.
“I conveyed to Premier Li our commitment to visa simplification to facilitate travel of Chinese nationals to India and expressed the hope that China will also facilitate such exchanges,” Singh said.
Ahead of his visit, there were indications that an agreement on a liberalised visa regime was close to being signed between the countries. But upset over the issue of stapled visa to Arunachal Pradesh residents, India decided to defer the issue in a virtual tit-for-tat.
On October 10, archers Mihu Maselo and Yumi Sorang, who were issued stapled Chinese visas, were prevented at the IGI Airport in Delhi from leaving for China to take part in the Youth World Archery Championship. Immigration officials at the airport stopped the duo, the only archers from Arunachal Pradesh in the 24-member squad, from boarding a China Southern Airlines flight to Guangzhou.
The remaining 22 members of the squad for the championship at Wuxi were allowed to take the flight leaving the two young archers distraught.
The matter sparked off a series of reactions with the External Affairs Ministry a summoning a diplomat from Chinese Embassy in Delhi and lodging a “strong protest” terming the move as “unsavoury and unacceptable”.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid regretted that two young archers could not go to China.
“This has happened before vis-a-vis visas given to residents of Arunachal Pradesh and we have resolved those matters, sometimes through diplomatic means and sometimes through just passage of time,” he said, adding “differing perceptions” on the border issue lead to such “unsavoury” incidents.
Archery Association of India President V K Malhotra wrote a strongly-worded letter to Khurshid saying time has come to call the Chinese bluff. He said giving stapled visas to the two archers from Arunachal Pradesh was an affront to India’s sovereignty and integrity.
“Time and again China has indulged in such mischievous activities challenging the territorial integrity of India. Several times, the Chinese Embassy has issued stapled visas for Indian citizens hailing from Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh but our government’s reaction has always been very mute,” he said.
“There has to be a measured and comprehensive response to these Chinese dirty tricks from Indian government,” he demanded.
AAA vice-president and MP Kiren Rijiju was furious at the Indian government for not resolving this issue.
“My anguish is why every time this is happening to Indian citizens from Arunachal. We are representing India and we are discriminated again and again as a disputed territory by China. I am appalled at why the Indian government is letting this to happen again and again,” said Rijiju.
He also urged Prime Minister to take strong retaliatory action against China by issuing stapled visa to people belonging to Tibet Autonomous Region, Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki termed the incident as sad for both the state and the country. “We are an integral part of India. We are Indians, we cannot be denied the right to travel.”
The practice by China of issuing stapled visas for residents of Arunachal Pradesh came to light in January 2011 when two weightlifters from the state were prevented by immigration officials from boarding a flight from New Delhi to Beijing since they had been given similar visas by Chinese Embassy.
Again, in 2011, a karate team from the state was prevented from boarding a flight in New Delhi because its members had been issued stapled visas.
Last year, a student from Arunachal Pradesh was not allowed to join a 100-member youth delegation to China after she was issued a stapled visa.
China, however, has been maintaining that the issue of stapled visas was a “flexible move” pending resolution of the boundary dispute.
“China’s position on the east end of the boundary between China and India is consistent and clear cut. China’s practice with regard to the visa is a flexible move pending the resolution of the boundary question. This shows China’s sincerity and flexibility,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said after the recent incident took place.
“We hope the Indian side can work with the Chinese side and maintain the sound momentum of personnel exchange and cooperation across the board,” she had said.
“The stapled visa incident is related to the China and India in the East end of the boundary question. It is also flexible way pending overall resolution of the boundary question. This shows the two sides’ commitment and sincerity to uphold peace and stability in this area,” she said.
And now with no pact signed on liberalising the visa regime between the two countries and China’s refusal to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory, the controversy over the stapled visas to people from the northeastern state will refuse to die down.
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