India boycotts tournament in China due to ‘stapled visa’ to players from Arunachal Pradesh

Indian players called back from the airport !

(‘Stapled visa’ means permission to enter a country without stamping the passport, but writing the information on a separate sheet of paper, affixing it with a stamp, and attaching it to the passport separately)

New Delhi – India has decided not to send its team to the martial arts competition to be held in China under the name of ‘World University Games’. The team was called back from the airport. The team consisted of 3 players from Arunachal Pradesh; however, while China issued stamped visas to other players, players from Arunachal Pradesh were issued ‘stapled visas’. India withdrew its team to protest this action.

While speaking on this matter, the spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said that this decision of China is unacceptable. India reserves the right to respond appropriately to such actions. We stand firm in our stance that visas should not be discriminated against citizens of India who hold valid passports on the basis of their places of origin. We have conveyed our position in this regard to the Chinese administration.

(Credit : Firstpost)

Stapled visas were issued due to delay in visa application, China claims !

China has also reacted to this matter. China has said that the 3 athletes concerned applied for visas on 16th July. By then the applications of other players had been forwarded. Therefore, the documents of these 3 players were not accepted and they were asked to reapply. The Chinese Embassy then returned their passports with a ‘stapled visa’.

China consistently acts against Indian interests !

In 2011 too, 5 athletes from Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas for the tournament in Guangzhou, China. In 2013 also, 2 athletes going to the Youth World Championship were issued stapled visas. In 2016, the manager of the Indian badminton team said that he could not get a visa to China because he was from Arunachal Pradesh.

Editorial Viewpoint

India should always give such a befitting response to China.