‘Arunachal Indisputably Indian Territory’: India Sends Strong Warning to China After Arunachal Woman Harassed at Shanghai Airport

India has lodged a strong demarche with China, both in Beijing and New Delhi, after Indian national Prema Wangjom Thongdok from Arunchal Pradesh was allegedly harassed by Chinese immigration officals at Shanghai Pudong Airport, sources said on Monday. 

According to the sources, the Indian Consulate in Shanghai intervened immediately, raising the issue with local authorities and providing assistance ot the stranded traveller. 

Delhi, Beijing Both Issued Strong Demarche Over Passenger Harassment

Officials underscored that the traveller was held on completely baseless grounds. They reaffirmed that Arunchal Pradesh is an integral part of India, and its people have every right to possess and travel with Indian passports. 

It was further pointed out that the conduct of Chinese authorities violates key international civil aviation treaties, including the Chicago and Montreal Conventions. 

According to a source, “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.” 

Arunachal Woman Says Chinese Officials Mocked Her Indian Citizenship

Prema Wangjom Thongdok from Arunachal Pradesh said she was harassed by Chinese immigration officers at Shanghai Pudong Airport, who allegedly mocked her and questioned her Indian citizenship. 

She further added that her nearly 18-hour ordeal finally ended after officials from India’s missions in Shanghai and Beijing intervened. Thongdok also accused China Eastern Airlines staff of “humiliating and inappropriate” conduct. 

According to her, the immigration authorities even declared her Indian passport invalid, causing delays to her onward journey to Japan. 

She said, “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.

She further added, “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.” 

How Indian Mission Rescued Her?

 Prema Wangjom Thongdok from Arunachal Pradesh said, “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…”

MEA Slams China’s ‘Preposterous’ Renaming of Arunachal Locations

India has consistently dismissed China’s assertions over Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the northeastern state is, and will always be, an integral and inseparable part of the country. 

In response to media questions earlier in May regarding China’s move to rename locations in Arunachal, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India firmly and unequivocally rejects such actions. 

He said, “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.”