'Called my Indian passport invalid': Arunachal woman alleges harassment at Chinese airport
Itanagar (PTI): A woman from Arunachal Pradesh, who lives in the UK, alleged that immigration officials at China's Shanghai airport detained her for nearly 18 hours after refusing to recognise her Indian passport during a transit halt, raising concerns over Beijing's repeated attempts to challenge India's territorial sovereignty.
Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who was travelling from London to Japan on November 21, claimed her three-hour scheduled layover turned into a traumatising ordeal after immigration personnel declared her passport "invalid" solely because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.
Thongdok, whose family hails from Rupa in West Kameng district, claimed that Chinese officials insisted Arunachal Pradesh was "part of China" and demanded she accept their interpretation before allowing further processing.
In a detailed post on X on Sunday, she claimed, "I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hours on 21st November 2025 by China immigration and China Eastern Airlines. They called my Indian passport invalid because my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh, which they claimed is Chinese territory."
@pemakhandu @kirenrijuju @PMOIndia I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hrs on 21st Nov, 2025 on claims by China immigration & @chinaeasternair They called my Indian passport invalid as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh which they claimed is Chinese territory. @cnnbrk
— Pem Wang Thongdok (@wang_pem) November 23, 2025
She claimed that she was confined to the transit area without clear explanations, access to proper food, or basic facilities.
She also claimed that her passport was confiscated, and she was prevented from boarding her connecting flight to Japan despite carrying a valid visa.
What should have been a routine transit, she said, turned into a distressing standoff with airport authorities.
She somehow managed to connect to the Indian consulate in Shanghai through a UK-based friend. Officials from the consulate helped her board a late-night flight from the Chinese city, it was learnt.
Prema has written to PM Narendra Modi and other senior officials, describing the incident as a "direct insult to India's sovereignty and the people of Arunachal Pradesh".
She has urged New Delhi to take up the matter strongly with Beijing, demand accountability, seek disciplinary action against those involved, and request appropriate compensation for the harassment she faced.
PTI could not reach Thongdok or her mother, Sang Chom Thongdok Pema Choeling, for a comment.
The incident comes in the backdrop of China's long-standing and frequently reiterated claim over Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as 'South Tibet'. India has consistently rejected these claims, asserting that the state is an integral and inalienable part of the country.
Beijing has often attempted to reinforce its stance through diplomatic and administrative provocations, drawing strong reactions from India.
Incidents such as renaming villages in Arunachal, issuing 'standard maps' claiming Indian territory, and objecting to Indian leaders' visits to the state have repeatedly strained bilateral relations.
This incident also echoes China's long-criticised practice of issuing stapled visas instead of stamped visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh, an act India has denounced as an affront to its sovereignty.
Several athletes, students, and officials from the state have previously been denied entry into China after refusing stapled visas, prompting India to protest and even cancel bilateral exchanges on multiple occasions.
These recurring actions have often sparked public anger within the state and triggered diplomatic warnings from New Delhi, which maintains that China must respect the sensitivity of the border issue and refrain from such unilateral measures.
Thongdok's experience has reignited concerns that China may be extending its stapled-visa logic to international transit points, potentially targeting travellers from Arunachal Pradesh even when they are simply passing through Chinese airports, an official in Itanagar said.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
