Recently at Shanghai Pudong Airport, Pema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh who now lives in the UK, caused trouble in the relationship between India and China. She was kept at the airport for tthe eighteen hours she had between flights on her way from London to Japan because Chinese immigration officials wouldn’t accept her Indian passport; they said it was because she was born in Arunachal Pradesh.
This situation brings up the continuing argument between the two countries about which territory each one controls. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own, calling it South Tibet, while India completely insists that the area is part of India. Things got worse when officials supposedly made fun of Thongdok and told her to get a Chinese passport, and when they wouldn’t let her have food or use basic things while she was being held.
Diplomatic Response
India quickly and firmly protested to China about this, both in Beijing and New Delhi. People in the government repeated that Arunachal Pradesh is a proper and essential part of India, and that people who live there have the complete right to have and use Indian passports for travel. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai helped Thongdok, eventually getting her freed and onto her flight.
Indian officials have said that what happened to Thongdok goes against international rules for air travel, as found in the Chicago and Montreal Conventions. They feel the actions were an unneeded problem for improving the relationship between the two countries which has been hurt by fighting over the border in the past.
Thongdok’s Ordeal
Thongdok’s experience wasn’t only upsetting for her, it also cost her money. She was stuck in the area where people wait for connecting flights, without anyone telling her clearly what was going on or letting her have basic conveniences. They took her passport, and despite having a valid visa, she missed her flight to Japan. Thongdok has said the whole thing was harassment and a political issue aimed at a normal person.
This incident has again raised worries about how China treats people from Arunachal Pradesh. China has a history of giving people from that region ‘stapled visas’ (visas attached to a slip of paper instead of being stamped in the passport) which India sees as disrespecting its claim to the area. India has complained to China about this practice many times.
Public Reaction
The incident has made a lot of people angry, and many see it as China extending its argument over Arunachal Pradesh to places people go through when travelling internationally. Thongdok’s mother is proud of how strong her daughter was during all this, but criticized the needless harassment.
Thongdok has contacted Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking them to strongly discuss this with China and get money back to cover the upset and financial loss she suffered. Her case shows how the political problems over Arunachal Pradesh continue, and how much the countries need to find solutions through discussions.
Implications for Bilateral Relations
This happened at a tricky time for India and China, who have been trying to return to normal after fighting on their border in tthe year 2020. Being held at Shanghai airport could stop that progress. Both countries have been working on things being normal again, but problems like this create problems that don’t need to be there.
As these things continue to damage the relationship between the countries, they show how important it is to follow international standards and agreements. For people travelling from places like Arunachal Pradesh, this incident is a very clear warning of the complicated political issues that can suddenly affect a person’s travel.
In short, Pema Wangjom Thongdok’s trouble at Shanghai Pudong Airport isn’t just one thing that happened by itself; it represents the larger arguments over land between India and China. India’s quick diplomatic reaction shows how seriously these things are taken, and shows that both countries need to work together in a positive way to avoid similar situations in the future.
