It is really sad to hear this story but I think the officials did what the rule is. I stayed in US for a long long time before moving back to India last month. The first point in your checklist is VISA status when you are travelling overseas. How can somebody forgot the VISA for country where you are travelling. There can be circumstances when this can happen if there is a family emergency and you have to do things in a hurry. But here the fanily is coming on vacation and hopefully they must have spent enough time planning the 4 week India vacation.
I think it is the carelessness of parents which the kids suffered. I don't hink we should blame Immigration officials or any air lines for your mistakes. if they have given the transit VISA then the same people will say "INDIA MAI KUCH BHEE HOTA HAIN".
People might not be agree with me 100% but thats what my feeling is.
RE:thats what the rule is
by MS on Dec 20, 2006 09:07 PM Permalink
You are right.Sorry for their unfortunate incident, but its parent's mistake. This incident is comfirming that India is improving in rules and regulations. Well,speaking about the airport authorities in India, I have heard lots but each time I visited India, I never had problems.Infact,airport officials helped me with my small kids and luggage, not asking any penny!!!!!!
RE:Break a coconut , You ye NRIs
by AtomicDesi on Dec 21, 2006 03:07 AM Permalink
Gosh, yet another brainless waste of space who wants his 15 seconds of fame by posting on the net.
Here's a bit of advice for you Gajanan: It's better to keep your mouth shut and have people ASSUME you are an idiot, than to open it and remove all doubt.
The above incident was unfortunate. But think about it, could this same person have forgotten his US visa, when he went to US? Why are we so easy with our own rules?
RE:When in India, we have least respect for rules.
by Pravin on Dec 21, 2006 03:00 AM Permalink
Good question and the answer to that question is very likely YES. If the parents were holding US passports and the kids were not. It is very very likely that they would have been given a US transit visa. Many countries provide transit visas very liberally on landing(just like the french guys got in india). I have lived in the U.S for 12 years now and have dealt with US authorities many many times and I can guarantee you that in NO situation would the kids have been abused the way they were at mumbai. This is more than an immigration issue, it is a cultural and more importantly child abuse issue.
Hi Vijay, I can fully empathise with you. Even my family went through a similar trauma at the Mumbai Airport, last year. Despite having a residence visa my wife & 2 kids aged 5 & 1 year respectively were refused to board the Emirates flight to Dubai by the immigration staff despite having checked-in b'cos of the fact that my wife's passport they claimed required Emigration Check. Thanks to some Babu in the passport office the line which was crossed across Emigration Check Required stretched upto ECNR and hence depite being a PG, my wife was refused immigration clearance. She begged the immigration staff and requested them that the passport office in Mumbai has confirmed that the passport is ECNR but it fell on deaf ears.
It is extremely unfortunate that people at the airport are more inclined in filling their pockets instead of being a little humane in their behaviour. It's high time that such issues are brought out in the open and action taken against such erring people. We have Pravasi Bhariti Sammelan every year where so much emphasis is given on NRI's contributing to the growth of the country but how unfortunate it is that the same Pravasi Bharti is treated with humiliation
RE:Even I went through a Similar Trauma
by Diwakar on Dec 21, 2006 05:12 AM Permalink
That is not fair. The fair question to ask is, what would have happened if it was 2 ethnic Americans with kids born outside and the kids not having valid travel documents. What would have happened is anybodys guess, but I think officials would have been more courteous and probably would have given more time to have their travel documents verified. Some how US citizens seem to have more rights in their country than Indians can come to expect. The problem is 2 fold though. We Indians do not get the attention we require because of our sheer numbers. I have experienced this at the Indian embassy in NYC as well. We have to stand in queues outside whereas an American can just walk in by showing their passport at their consulates while we are waiting in queues to get visas, even there. The numbers should not be an excuse for high handedness though, no matter what. As someone rightly pointed out, in this case officals were overzealous in handling the situation.
To Vijay & Vaishali, I understand your pain. I am not sure on what basis the immigration staff granted transit visa to other person. Can you tell me, what would have happenend if you forgot your green card documents in India and travelled to US? does US immigration allowed you to enter? if they don't allow, will you blame the official and the country.
There was a news on CNN that in one of the US airport, they didn't allowed a yr old child to board the flight because the child's name was on nofly list.
BE HAPPY THAT THINGS ARE IMPROVING IN INDIA, do not blame if something did not worked for you because of own's mistake.
I do not think anything wrong in denying them(people with no valid visa) to enter,it was their parents responsibility make sure of their children's visa.
it is a very shameful act by immigration department. they could have allowed trasit visa considering atleast that they are small kids and their parents have valid docs. media should take up the matter so that this should not happen again & officials should be punished.
RE:immigration dept in india
by gyanmehta on Dec 21, 2006 05:21 AM Permalink
"Will the United states allow anyone in if you claim that "my US visa is in the old passport"" Simple answer is YES, Has happened to me (my passport was stolen, and while entering us I had no passoprt).. Of course, many times, a simple answer to are you US citizen and "YES" answer (without any document) is enough for 99% of the cases if you enter US from canada.
Simpe fact is, in this day and age, even post 9/11, in a civilized world, there is simply no excuse for the barbaric act of Mumbai officials.
Most civilized countries allow (and I have travelled with NO problem in most of Europe, Asia (Malasia, Singapore, Austraila etc - NO VISA of any kind. ) US passport holders. Heck, I had no trouble even in China for a tranist visa.
Mumbai must be worse place, if you think that that is normal.
Agreed they are children. But it's hard to make exceptions in this age of increased security. Will the United states allow anyone in if you claim that "my US visa is in the old passport". Whose fault is it if you don't carry travel documents. I am not actually surprised by how Viraj and Vaishali are reacting to this. It's easiest when you goof up and blame third-world insensitivity. Viraj and Vaishali, shut up and carry passports next time around
I live in W.Europe and am an Indian by origin. I agree as to what Viashali and her family had to go through at the hands of those idiots was inhuman, and nothing short of a nightmare. That's one reason I dont want to visit India, theres too much talk of imporvement, but on grassroots level where questions of humanity and tolarence is concerned, instead of India showing the way like it did in the ancient past, Indian officials have time and again displayed their foolish behaviour, though this time they really took the cake. Shame on you all at the Indian immigration.
