M A I N   N E W S

Beijing’s visa move upsets India 
Ashok Tuteja
Tribune News Service

Officials said the issue was raised yesterday by the Foreign Ministry officials with the Chinese Embassy here as well as with the Chinese foreign office in Beijing. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has briefed External Affairs Minister SM Krishna about it. The minister may raise the issue with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi when the latter visits Bangalore for the Russia-India-China meeting in October end if the matter is not resolved by then. The officials said India was taking the matter very seriously and ‘retaliation’ by New Delhi in some form was not ruled out if Beijing did not reverse its decision. A Chinese Embassy spokesperson, however, sought to play down the controversy, saying “the visas (on separate sheets) are valid.” She refused to answer any other question.

It is not known when the Chinese Embassy started issuing ‘stapled visas’ to J&K residents. However, sources said the new practice has coincided with the hardening of Beijing’s stance over Arunachal Pradesh, most of which China claims as its territory. “The move is aimed at putting India on the defensive on the border issue,” they added. It is also seen as a step fraught with security risks as the unattached visa does not leave any trail behind and does not fully reflect the travel record of the passport. The Chinese have in recent years been careful not to take sides in their statements on Kashmir issue. In the 1962 conflict, China had occupied a large part of Kashmir. To make matters worse and complicated, Pakistan ceded a part of the territory occupied by it to China. India does not recognise the border agreement between China and Pakistan.

China had been issuing visas on separate papers to those hailing from Arunachal Pradesh for quite sometime but its latest move to follow the same practice in the case of J&K residents is bound to raise questions on whether Beijing will continue to remain neutral on Kashmir, given its own geopolitical and territorial interests.

The move, which many consider as a diplomatic snub to India, has also frustrated the Kashmiris, particularly students. So far only about 100 people have been affected by the new procedures. Observers say the new requirements may affect only a handful of students and businessmen from J&K but the diplomatic implications of the Chinese move could result in a serious deterioration of relations between Beijing and Delhi. News reports have suggested that some Kashmiri travellers have already been refused permission to travel on stapled visas by the airport immigration authorities, which did not consider them as genuine. They were rejected by immigration authorities even after the travellers returned with letters from the Chinese Embassy, saying the visas were original.