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>>>>My advice to all my friends who hold an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India)
>>>>Card and
>>>>those who aspire to get one.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I am an American citizen. I also carry an OCI card (Overseas Citizen of
>>>>India)
>>>>since 2007.
>>>>
>>>>On Saturday, June 20, 2009 , I arrived at the Kolkata Netaji Subhas Airport
>>>>from
>>>>Detroit via Singapore , by Singapore Airlines (SQ 516) at 10:30 P.M.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I presented myself to an Immigration Officer ( Mr. Biswas ) for
>>>>immigration
>>>>clearance. I gave him my American passport and my OCI card. He demanded
>>>>to see
>>>>my visa from the Indian consular office. Unfortunately, that visa was
>>>>attached
>>>>to my old passport and I did not bring it with me.
>>>>
>>>>I explained to him that I am sorry I forgot to bring my old passport but
>>>>since I
>>>>do possess a valid OCI Card that would automatically mean that I do also
>>>>possess
>>>>a permanent (life long) visa for India and there are proofs that I have
>>>>traveled
>>>>multiple times to India after I had received my OCI card.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Mr. Biswas detained me for two hours inside the airport and then he told
>>>>me
>>>>that he is going to allow me to stay in India for 72 hours and asked me to
>>>>report to the Foreign Relations Regional Officer (FRRO) in the city within
>>>>72
>>>>hours. He kept my passport. During all that time I had no opportunity
>>>>either
>>>>to approach his OC (Officer in Charge) although I asked for it, or to
>>>>contact my
>>>>relatives who came to the airport to receive me and were waiting outside
>>>>and had
>>>>no idea why I was being held back or if I have even arrived.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Forgetting to bring my old passport was my own fault but I 'forgot' to
>>>>bring it
>>>>partly because I knew I have my OCI Card with me and I thought, that means
>>>>something, I really believed that I am a citizen of India too. Why would a
>>>>citizen also need a visa to enter his own country? I thought I have a
>>>>dual
>>>>citizenship for both the USA and India . Other wise, what is the difference
>>>>between an ordinary foreigner and the OCI Card holder?
>>>>
>>>>Next day was a Sunday, I called a friend in Ann Arbor who went into my
>>>>house,
>>>>got my old passport and sent me the scanned copy of my old passport and a
>>>>copy
>>>>of my permanent visa by e-mail.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>So, on Monday I went to see Mr. Bibhas Talukdar , the FRRO. He hardly
>>>>looked at
>>>>the documents (the scanned visa) that I had with me he simply asked me to
>>>>get my
>>>>old passport by courier mail within another seven days. He appeared
>>>>gleeful
>>>>telling me that it is only out of "pity" that he is allowing me to stay in
>>>>India for seven more days. He was totally unimpressed by either my status
>>>>as a
>>>>Professor Emeritus of the University of Michigan or my age (70+)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I called my friend in Ann Arbor again who then sent my old passport by
>>>>FedEx.
>>>>Three days later the passport arrived. Since I had to leave Kolkata for
>>>>prescheduled visit to Bangalore , my niece took it to Mr. Talukdar . But
>>>>due to
>>>>lack of communication between the FRRO office and the airport immigration
>>>>department my passport had not arrived at the city office even after 9
>>>>days. My
>>>>niece had to go to the FRRO's office three times once waiting until 6 P.M.
>>>>still
>>>>they did not have my passport. They only promised: "it will come soon". At
>>>>last, 12 days after my arrival, my niece got my passport.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>From this painful and anxiety provoking experience I have learned a few
>>>>valuable
>>>>lessons:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>1. The loud talk about "Dual Citizenship" for Indian Americans is just a
>>>>political hoax.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>2. The OCI card just does not have any value. It is just a piece of
>>>>expensive junk. You still need a visa every time you travel to India
>>>>whether or
>>>>not you possess an OCI card. Only difference is that for the high price of
>>>>getting an OCI card you will get a "life long " visa. A 10-year visa is
>>>>much
>>>>cheaper.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>3. When coming to India always consider yourself a foreigner and bring
>>>>your
>>>>visa with you, there will be no exceptions. Your OCI card is not a visa
>>>>substitute.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>4. In fact, you will probably be treated worse than an ordinary
>>>>foreigner
>>>>arriving without a valid visa. Because a foreigner especially a white
>>>>Caucasian
>>>>will at least be treated with courtesy and probably offered a temporary
>>>>visa if
>>>>there is no reason to deny it, but not you.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Please feel free to forward this mail to any of your friends who may befit
>>>>from
>>>>my experience. Especially feel free to forward this to any influential
>>>>politician or civil servant in India that you may know.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Sujit K. Pandit M.D.,Professor Emeritus, Department of Anesthesiology,
>>>>University of Michigan
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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