Chinese Visa to an Arunachalee-A Positive Diplomatic Stance or a Slip Up?

When Arunachalee’s had been denied visa to China on several occasions earlier, it came as a surprise to me when an Arunachalee, teaching Computer Science at Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, Arunachal Pradesh was granted visa to visit China on a 2-week long academic tour organized by India China Alliance Center of CII. The local and national media hailed this a positive diplomatic stance of China towards solving the vexed Indo-China border row over Arunachal. I was not quite convinced with the media about this positive change in Chinese diplomacy, though. When China has been strongly voicing their assertion over Arunachal and denying visa to an Arunachalee saying that one does not need a visa to visit it’s own country (I should say, a very clever stance taken by the Chinese to assert their territorial claim), I wondered, how could China change it’s stance over Arunachal overnight? Am I being skeptical? Or is it that the marathon talks by Special Representatives on Boundary issue has bore fruit and has mellowed down the Chinese to change it’s stance on Arunachal? But then, what about the reports of incursions by Chinese army deep inside Arunachal of which the union government says is the difference in perception of LAC (Line of Actual Control)?

Everything didn’t seem quite falling into place until the report of disciplinary action against Marpe Sora-the lone Arunachalee to get Chinese Visa and memo to Dr. Sikhar Kumar Sharma, Head of Department of Computer Science and Engineering of Rajiv Gandhi University appeared in the local daily.

Apparently, for obtaining Chinese Visa, the lecturer from Arunachal University had retorted to fraudulent means by producing false affidavit before the CEO of India China Alliance Center, stating that he had been permanent resident of Guwahati for the last ten years and Piyush Bahl, Chief Executive Officer, India China Alliance Center had made a special request to the Chinese embassy in New Delhi to grant Visa to Sora vouching that he is cent percent permanent resident of state of Assam. The Chinese Embassy, after initial hesitation, as ‘affidavit’ declared Sora as born Arunachalee, finally cleared his visa to China for academic tour.

“Armed with documents, the VC (Vice Chancellor, RGU) revealed that Sora produced a “false” affidavit before the CEO of India China Alliance Center, giving “false address” that he was permanent resident of Assam’s Guwahati where he was residing for last ten years, to get the Chinese visa, whereas Sora, a native of Nari under Tellam in East Siang District is presently residing in Maharlagun and working with the RGU in Arunachal itself since September 7, 2005.

RGU Department of Computer Science and Engineering lecturer Marpe Sora had obtained the Chinese Visa through fraudulent method, the Vice Chancellor informed.

Piyush Bahl made a special request to the Chinese embassy in Delhi to issue a Visa to Sora communicating that he is a lecturer of a prestigious Central University and was keen to join his first ever educational tour to China. He further vouched that Sora was cent percent permanent resident of the state of Assam.”

-The Arunachal Times

So, it was a case of 'slip-up' on account of visa issuing authority due to misinformed place of residence and not a 'positive-shift' in China's Diplomacy as was hailed, afterall. This China-sojourn by the local only brought himself disciplinary action by his authority for using 'false affidavit' to obtain visa and a memo to his Head of Department for issuing press release about his visit to China in local media without prior consent and approval of the University. How sad! And we thought this vexed border dispute is nearing end with China recognising Arunachal a part of India by granting visa to an indigenous Arunachalee. :(