India issues strong demarche to China over harassment faced by Indian national at Shanghai airport, says Arunachal Pradesh indisputably Indian territory

New Delhi [India], November 24 : India has issued a strong demarche to the Chinese side, in Beijing and in Delhi, over the incident of the Indian national Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, facing harassment from Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport, sources said on Monday.

The sources said India's Consulate in Shanghai also took up the matter locally and extended assistance to the stranded passenger.

It was stressed that the passenger had been detained on ludicrous grounds. Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably Indian territory and its residents are perfectly entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports.

It has also been highlighted that the actions of the Chinese authorities are in contravention of the Chicago and Montreal Conventions relating to civil aviation.

"A strong demarche was made with the Chinese side, in Beijing and in Delhi, on the same day the incident took place. Our Consulate in Shanghai also took up the matter locally and extended fullest assistance to the stranded passenger," a source said.

Sources said it has also been highlighted that the actions of the Chinese authorities are in contravention of the Chicago and Montreal Conventions relating to civil aviation.

Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, has said that she faced harassment from Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport, who "mocked and raised questions" over her Indian citizenship and noted that her 18-hour ordeal came to an end with the help of officials from India's missions in Shanghai and Beijing.

She also alleged "humiliating, questionable behaviour" from the staff of China Eastern Airlines.

Prema Thongdok claimed that Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport declared her Indian passport invalid and delayed her travel to Japan.

"When I tried to question them and ask them what the issue was, they said, 'Arunachal is not part of India' and started mocking and laughing and saying things like 'you should apply for the Chinese passport, you're Chinese, you're not Indian," Thongdok told ANI

Thongdok said she is an Indian citizen residing in the United Kingdom for about 14 years and was travelling from London to Japan via a transit in Shanghai.

"One of the officials from the Chinese immigration came over and singled me out of the queue. I asked her what was happening, and she went on to say, 'Arunachal- not India, China-China, your visa is not acceptable. Your passport is invalid'... When I tried to question them and ask them what the issue was, they said, 'Arunachal is not part of India' and started mocking and laughing and saying things like 'you should apply for the Chinese passport, you're Chinese, you're not Indian'... I have transited through Shanghai in the past with no issues at all," she added.

Thongdok said she couldn't get in touch with her family for a very long time.

"The airline staff of China Eastern and about two other immigration officers were speaking in their language and saying and pointing out and saying Arunachal and laughing and calling it China, not India. That was a very humiliating, questionable behaviour from the immigration staff as well as the airline staff," she alleged

"I called up the Shanghai and Beijing Indian embassies and within an hour, the Indian officials came to the airport, got me some food and spoke through the issues with them and helped me get out of the country. A very long ordeal, 18 hours, but glad that I'm out of there. I had my Indian passport which is a valid document...," she added.

The incident has come amid what is being seen as an upturn in ties between India and China following interactions among senior leaders of two countries.

India has been firmly rejecting China's claims over Arunachal Pradesh, saying that the northeastern state is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.

Responding to media queries in May this year on China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh, Ministry of External Affaris spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said that India categorically rejects such attempts.

"We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically," he said.

"Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India," he added.

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