You think India is a garden that you simply walk-in casually with your "made in USA" children, without bothering about any immigration rules at all ?
You actually indirectly showed disrespect for India and her laws and on top of that you are now shamelessly complaining.
You need to go back to school and learn your basics. You have experience of working for 9 years in USA, a country of strict discipline but it seems to have no effect on the development of your brain.
You complain about a Frenchman who got entry into India, on transit visa. I would say was a guest, and so can be pardoned. No question of fair skin you dumb & foolish man.
You are supposed to be a responsible citizen of India, if you actually love & respect your motherland. People like you start corruption. That is how it starts, when you take India for granted, and laugh when you have managed to break rules in India.
You have surely learnt a lesson of your life, to behave properly, wrt India.
I congratulate the officers who diligently did their duty and the correct appropriate decision in these 2 cases !!
Pushp Shah, Mumbai Working in OH, USA IT Professional Jaihind !!!
RE:Mumbai immigration deports children!
by Deb Sengupta on Dec 22, 2006 08:34 AM Permalink
Mr. Kedar, I understand your view point and would not recommend allowing the children without valid documents. However, considering the fact that immigration thought faxed documents were acceptable, they could have given more time for the family to retrieve them. It was quite obvious that the family wasn't trying to show disrespect but had committed a genuine mistake. If the adults didn't have the documents, i would be supporting the officials in deporting them immediately. But in this case, they should have atleast tried to help the people Indian or not. Regards, -Deb
RE:Mumbai immigration deports children!
by Satish on Dec 21, 2006 11:16 AM Permalink
The Frenchman travelling to India without a valid visa was a guest, so he was allowed to enter India and the two kids (with American Nationality) travelling without a visa were at fault, so they should be deported! WoW! Great Logic!
White skin people left this country almost 60 years ago, but their slaves are still present. White skin slavery is flowing through next generations too!
I must say that the same rule should be applied in both cases, either deport both or allow both!
RE:Mumbai immigration deports children!
by surpri on Dec 20, 2006 11:14 PM Permalink
Shah, you are even more pathetic. To say that the immigration guys were just doing their duty is correct, but then you go on to ramble about how the French man is a guest in the country and therefore be shown concession - that makes you really pathetic. Since when have Indian visitors to any western country be treated by the western immigrations as 'guests'and pardoned for any lapses in their paper-work. You yourself would have stood for hours outside the US embassy just to be able to get into US. Your parents and relatives also would have had to stand outside for hours just to a get a visa to visit you. Any Indian without proper papers is given the 3rd degree treatment in the west. Yet, you think its OK for the French man to stroll into India without proper papers, and be allowed because he is a 'guest.'
Are you by any chance another dreamy eyed western wanne-be?
RE:Mumbai immigration deports children!
by Ramu Maheswaran on Dec 21, 2006 03:11 AM Permalink
Well Said sir. I am wondering how come Rediff is encouraging these kind of news as if it was an official's mistake.
RE:Mumbai immigration deports children!
by Vivek on Dec 21, 2006 03:24 AM Permalink
This is crazy. Kicking out Indians from their own country!! These are minors of Indian citizen and I am sure law has some provision to accomodate them when they land in the country.
I bet you dont have kids. Although I may have said same thing like you if I were single. Being a parent I know the difficulties.
Officers are scum bags who have no idea about travelling and working abroad.
RE:Mumbai immigration deports children!
by JJ on Dec 21, 2006 12:15 AM Permalink
No comments about the original article since we are assuming too many things here. Cannot justify the parents.
But Mr. Pushp Shah >> Your comments are unwarranted. Whatever happened to net etiquette ?
RE:Mumbai immigration deports children!
by Vidya on Dec 21, 2006 06:28 AM Permalink
Your sense of patriotism and justice is so misplaced its laughable! How can you make such harsh personal remarks abt the couple? I have to ask is this stemming from some personal dislike to the Indian immigrant population and why? There was no disrespect shown by them! This was a easily rectifyable situation that the officals chose to take extreme measures over! Is shocks me that you can justify the incident with the Frenchman! On the one hand you fault the Indian couple about not following "immigration rules" and on the other applaud the authorities for granting the Frenchman a visa, coz he is a guest & can be "pardoned"? Where's the logic in that? These were 2 minor children of Indian parents- the law provides the flexibilty to give them a transit visa! Get off your high horse! Its "dumb and foolish" (your words) people like you who perpetuate this system! There has long been a need for a change and people like you dont help in improving things in our country!
As a parent and a resident in USA, I share the pain of the family. I know first hand the discomfort children undergo when they travel 24+ hrs. Even if I disregard the french angle to the story, just on a reasonable humanitarian basis the officials should show better judgement. It is easy to say the officials were just doing their job, but what they should remember is that they are serving the people, a little common sense and heart is expected. Thats how I would distinguish us Indians from the rest of the world. This crude behaviour with no show of empathy is shameful and unacceptable.
RE:Unacceptable
by kedar on Dec 21, 2006 04:54 AM Permalink
And what would you have the immigration officer do? would you have him welcome them into the country- illegally? take $50 per child and stamp their passport? Then you wouold call him corrupt...
I completely agree with what the officer did but think he could have been more courteous and friendly and more helpful by checking with the senior officer for any provisions for such a case....but i suspect he would have to ask them to go back. A fax copy of the visa is NOT A VALID DOCUMENT.
My sympathy goes with you and your family for the hardships faced at the airport. I agree with you completely that the officials could have been more understanding and helpful. Their rigid approach to enforce law made them overlook the trouble your kids were facing.
But lets face the facts. They were doing their job and it was you who made the mistake of not getting the VISAs in the first place. Specially when you say that the kids have travelled to india a lot many times in the past. This makes it even more important. A costly mistake on your part makes you and your family suffer.
Not only that, being a typical indian, you start pointing your fingers at the officals and start giving racial examples of white skin and brown skin. Hang on for a minute and think what you are doing. On one hand you and your wife are educated, working as an IT professional in the US for 9 long years and on the other hand, you are sowing the seed of racial discrimination in your kids already.
Accept that you made a mistake and tell your kids that they suffered because of it but This does not take away even one bit of thought where the officials could have been more helpful.
RE:Dont blame the officials alone !!
by ronie on Dec 20, 2006 10:28 PM Permalink
Well Dear Interviews are been taken everywhere in most of the airport.Infact even i have gone thru interview @ amsterdam airport and even frankfurt,so dont blame this to Indian authoritise,they are jusss doing thier duty and i hope they are doing well. hates off for all the indian official for thier spendid duty.
Really sorry to hear what the writer and his family had to go through, but not surprised at the attitude and the arrogance of the Immigration Officers. Recently when i was returning from Delhi, one Immigration Official was literally taking interview of the person travelling abroad, taking nearly 20 mins to stamp one passport, and sending people back at his whims and fancy even though they had all the documents, when other Immigration Official would allow the same person through. These Officials acts as if they are rulers of the country. They forget that they are public SERVANTS, and there is definetly a need to make there acts more accountable, if India is dreaming of making progress in all frontiers.
RE:Immigration Officals acts as if they are Rulers of the Country!
by AK on Dec 20, 2006 11:11 PM Permalink
Why does everyone accept to stand still and subject themselves to intense scruitny for several minutes by American/European immigration agents even if they have all the right paperwork? Why does this suddenly become a problem if an immigration agent from India does the same thing? I have had several friends interviewed for several minutes/hours when they have come back from India from a vacation and have had lived in the US for several years. We tend to expect a lot of preferential treatment from Indian officials just because we have been able to become NRIs.......
it is not only the immigration, but almost every other government department in delhi n india are callous about their responsibility and services they are suppose to provide. All they learn in their entire career in govt. services is few protocols and standard procedures, which they go on repeating without caring about being flexible to help out others in desperation. I hope all these old folks with attitude will be replaced with a more humble disciplined younger workers sometime in the near future or atleast in the next decade.
As educated as these people are, they are giving lame excuses and are resting all the fault on the Indian immigration officials. Don't you think that you people are asking the Indian officials to swallow something just because they were born in America? Just because your kids have an American passport does not mean that you have a visa to travel whole world. On the contrary, will some such thing be entertained by the US immigration people?
For me inhuman is two aged people (carrying photo copy of their passport with visa stamping) placed under detention for three days in Italy until someone else fetched their Indian passport from their son's residence in Germany.
RE:Look at who is crying foul!
by Ragu on Dec 20, 2006 10:35 PM Permalink
You suck Mr Srikanth. You suck a big time. That only means that you have never been in such situations. huh..!
RE:Look at who is crying foul!
by Shalaka on Dec 20, 2006 08:34 PM Permalink
Agree, that its insane to forget visa while u are travelling, its an of being careless! BUT don't agree that the act was right! C'mon we shud do something to make things better! not accept the fact that we are being discriminated in our own country! thats no way to improve discipline!
How can some one forget the Visa while travelling. That too people who have travelled so many times?
I dont see any thing wrong with the mumbai immigration authority. I think they have done their duty.
Regarding the white man getting the transit Visa, You got to accept that white man rules the world.
I know so many instances where Indians are being denied entering into US in similar situation who had also been given only few hours before they were deported.
I might sound bit rude and we indians need to accept that we lack descipline.
RE:Good Job done by the Mumbai police
by Poo on Dec 21, 2006 03:13 AM Permalink
"You got to accept that white man rules the world" -- what do u do if white man rules the world?
RE:Good Job done by the Mumbai police
by Vidya on Dec 21, 2006 05:52 AM Permalink
I cant believe anyone can actually that. Mistakes happen...While it is true that they should have had the visas in hand, most countries give you a reasonable time frame to produce it. Giving them a 24 or 48 hour transit visa was well within the decretion of the authorities. It was entirely possible for them to take steps to ensure that the parents provided adequate documentation.
That being said, Indian officals need to be given sensitivity training. Their own prejudices and misplaced anger at the NRIs is unfair and should be the basis for such rude treatment.
Thirdly, the Indian immigration needs a complete revamp. We dont have clear laws and rules to effeciently handle the necessary question surrounding visas and immigration. With India now attracting a significant amount of foreign investment, these questions are becoming more and more important. We need to encourage tourism and business, to do this, we need to pull up our socks and stop this frog in the well behavior. Saying that the Mumbai police was just doing their job is wrong, coz they werent doing their job but acting on their prejudices and trying to show these people that they had the power to do as they please!
RE:Good Job done by the Mumbai police
by Vidya on Dec 21, 2006 08:03 AM Permalink
I cant believe anyone can actually say that. Mistakes happen! While it is true that they should have had the visas on hand, most countries give you a reasonable time frame to produce it. Giving them a 24 or 48 hour transit visa was well within the discretion of the authorities. It was entirely possible for them to take steps to ensure that the parents provided adequate documentation.
That being said, Indian officials need to be given sensitivity training. Their own bias and misplaced anger at the NRIs is unfair & shouldnt be the basis for such rude treatment.
Thirdly, the Indian immigration needs a complete revamp. We dont have clear laws and rules to efficiently handle the necessary question surrounding visas and immigration. With India now attracting a significant amount of foreign investment, these questions are becoming more and more important. We need to encourage tourism and business, to do this, we need to pull up our socks and stop this frog in the well behavior. Saying tht the Mumbai police was just doing their job is wrong, coz they werent doing their job but acting on their prejudices & trying to show these people that they had the power to do as they please
RE:Good Job done by the Mumbai police
by Sree on Dec 20, 2006 05:21 PM Permalink
Sorry to say.... but Indians like you are responsible for the sorry state we are in... How can you even make a statement that "The White rule the world".. What change can we expect when people among us think in this manner?
RE:Good Job done by the Mumbai police
by Sachin patil on Dec 20, 2006 09:14 PM Permalink
The Person is not above the Law and we should always learn to the respect the Indian Law. Indian immegration law to french citizens would be different than US and Bangladesh and so on with other countries. For example. if person from bangladesh would have visited India without VISA he might have not been granted a transit visa. French person got the transit visa because their GOVT must have some back to back agreement with Indian Govt.
How can person could be so irresponsible not carrying valid documents with them. Here Vijay should have carried his childerns all documents. Its not immegration officer fault, he has granted 45 minutes to produce the documents. What VIJAY and his wife Vaishali is feeling that immegration office in india was rude but they are not seeing the other side of coin that they were asked to produce documents. Immegration office might have asked police to introgate in this matter then what Vijay would have done????
So all NRI should learn lesson that they should carry necessary documents and not to blame our immegration officers.
typical
'Batsmen are a pampered lot'
Ganguly flops for Northants
by deb on Dec 26, 2006 11:08 AM Permalink
Where does the 'money' comes? Behaving politely does not cost money. And do you think NRIs should 'pump' money to get better behavior? Do not understand your point. If not being able to become an NRI hurts you then it is different though.
RE:Good Job done by the Mumbai police
by Chirag Majmundar on Dec 21, 2006 02:53 AM Permalink
What is the GOOD JOB in this? White man can get a TRANSIT VISA and WHITE man rules the world. What BS is this? A person is coming to their homecountry and you are telling that we are open for WHITE PEOPLE but not the ORIGINS of that country.
Think again, you might need to post the reply again then dude.
RE:Good Job done by the Mumbai police
by shilpi on Dec 21, 2006 02:06 AM Permalink
I agree with you that Mumbai police did not do an act that should be condemned so hard.It is hard to believe that one can forget the most important travel document when travelling abroad--VISA.How can one forget visa.No other country will also allow any person to get in their country without visa and that too in such a tight security situation.I know travelling with kids is tough during such long trips but this can not be the reason to allow anyone an entry in the country.Afterall the parents are green card holders who will probably be acquiring American citizenship and the kids are already American citizens so how can they expect some mercy from police and immigration deptt.When I go to India I check my passport and visa a number of times afterall that is the most important and the only document that has to be with us under all circumstances.I can just not imagine that I can be allowed to enter US without my visa and it is the same in the case of India.But we Indians have made it a point to criticise our admn at the drop of a hat.Even if they are not wrong.
This incident shows the actual picture of India and its high-handed officials. If it happens to any foreign countries, specially Western, we would claim that its racial bias. All the development and big talks comes to near zero unless public service does not improve, if daily life does not become smooth and hazardless, and if such ill treatment does not stop, India with all those hype will remain a 'poor' country that people will try to avoid if possible.
But at the same time, forgetting about as important thing as VISA is also a too bad mistake to be done. Especially as an Indian we should know how immigration and customs in our country always ready to harass people, particularly their own.
Thanks for sharing the story. Though I do not think the behavior of those people will change in a hurry or any personal or joint action will be taken, but it taught us a good lesson those who plan to visit India and with children.
RE:Typical India
by DC on Dec 21, 2006 01:19 AM Permalink
Wonder how much money these NRIs pumped back to India? Lets not make generic comments. Not taking a VISA is an offence and cannot be ignored.
What kind of Nation are we turning into???White skin mentality still prevalent after more than SIXTY years of Independence.'The worst part was that there was a Frenchman from the same flight sitting in the immigration office who forgot to even apply for an Indian visa. The immigration official gave him a two-day transit visa.'No wonder a small country like Singapore has more tourists in a year than we can hope to have in two decades.Shame on us.This is the way we treat NRIs after they pump in millions of rupees into our economy year after year.Does anyone in the Govt. remember the much touted "YATRA of Mitrata" for NRIs that was organised with such fanfare some years ago??????????
RE:our immigration authority
by Krishnamurthy on Dec 20, 2006 11:21 PM Permalink
I feel sorry to see this kind of tones. We are all educated and this education came from India. I strongly believe that if there is any good humanity, we can see that only in India [without any law resitrction]
We need to understand the situation properly before commenting loosly. India is always great and it is our responsibility that how we project it.
I feel all this things could be on reaction basis as I experienced same kind of situation in US also. If it is done in US, it is law enforcement and if it is in India, it is Inhumanity. Thats really strange thoughts.
RE:our immigration authority
by Parthasarathy on Dec 21, 2006 01:34 AM Permalink
Well said. I am also 200% Agree. In hyd these guys begged $ when I was leaving the country too, telling ' Aap log bahar ja raha hay, kitna paisa kamayenge, humko vi thora dekhiye.
But its not all dark, once an immigration officer told me we are proud of you looking at how many different countries I worked in. But most of the time Immigration officers who suppose to be the face of the country doesn't carry any self respect, their discriminating behavior towards own people make us shame.....misuse of power with out responsibility...that I always say to myself...when I cross my countrys immigration and customs barrier every time
RE:our immigration authority
by g bhat on Dec 20, 2006 07:29 PM Permalink
i totally agree with what you say and i believe that immigration officials could be better behaved, to say the least. but it would be common sense to check about visas while travelling to another country when you do not have a passport given by that country. even a novice traveller would know it. thinking that a U.S.green card/citizenship allows one to travel to any country without any other permit perhaps points towards something else(i am loathe to use a harsh word).
