The Indians in the US sought a toll-free global helpline on an urgent basis for the fast-growing Indian diaspora, following an embassy official abusing a visa seeker at the Indian Consulate in New York.
On November 27, an Indian woman in the US was told to get out of the embassy in New York while seeking a visa to attend her father’s last rites in India. In a video, which has gone viral on social media, the woman and her husband were threatened with a blacklist that would prevent them from getting an Indian visa.
The woman named Tina posted a video on Twitter and wrote, “This is Vijay Shankar Prasad – the visa officer in charge…Is this…representation of India?” Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the officer.
“My father passed away on Monday and this incident took place in New York on Tuesday. I begged and pleaded for nearly an hour as my husband & I were threatened to be blacklisted from ever getting an Indian visa and the NYPD was called on us. As I cried I was also told by security that I live in the United States and am no longer an Indian – and have no rights. No ‘reason’ for this level of apathy and indifference is acceptable with any person let alone someone who found out they lost their father a few hours ago and are begging for help,” Tina wrote.
“Now that I’ve attended his cremation (thanks to help from some true Indians) and prepare to scatter his ashes. I wonder how many other people may have been treated unjustly & left stranded by New York”, she further added. The Consulate General of India, New York, issued a statement saying that the issue is being reviewed.
According to the latest reports, the Indian Consulate in New York has instituted a disciplinary proceeding against the officer. However, many more cases of harassment have come out following the incident. “Emergency visas issues are a lot. In October 2021, I had to take my father’s ashes to India and the amount of delays was atrocious. I missed a flight and lost money because they never clearly told me what documents I would need,” said Jasmit Singh in his Twitter handle.
Many have taken up the issue and urged for a toll-free global helpline. Community activist, New York-based Prem Bhandari said this is an endemic problem at Indian diplomatic missions across the world.
Bhandari, who has been taking up cases of Indians living abroad on issues related to visas and passports for years, said: “During COVID, all the Indian consulates in the USA did commendable work, I’ve experienced it personally. Officer’s bad behavior on fellow Indians is unacceptable. Serious action must be taken to set a precedent for the future.”
“Whatever the reason is, the manner in which the visa officer at Indian Consulate in New York is seen behaving in the video is unpardoThe Indian government must take steps to ensure that this is not repeated at any of our diplomatic missions. They are public servants, and this video certainly does not reflect that,” Bhandari was quoted as saying by the Tribune.
“Given the fast-growing needs of Indians living overseas, who now number 32 million, it would be best for the Indian government to establish a global toll-free number, where an Indian diaspora member can call and get help without fear. I am saying this because of the scores of calls, texts and emails that I receive from the diaspora on a weekly basis,” he added.
