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Back home after 54 years, ex-Chinese soldier now waits for visa renewal to reunite with family in Madhya Pradesh

According to his son Vishnu Wang (38), his 80-year old father had applied to the Indian embassy in China in April, but there has been no positive response so far.

wang Chang Qi, chinese soldiers in india, chinese soldier to reunite with family, chinese soldier in madhya pradesh Wang Chang Qi (third from left) with his relatives in China.

WANG Chang Qi, a Chinese soldier who was caught and imprisoned by Indian forces before he settled down in Tirodi village of Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, had to wait for 54 years to reunite with his family in China. But for the past five months, he has been waiting for another visa renewal to return to his family in Tirodi.

According to his son Vishnu Wang (38), his 80-year old father had applied to the Indian embassy in China in April, but there has been no positive response so far. “I have been in communication with Indian officials both in India and China but the process isn’t going anywhere,” Vishnu said.

“I have written emails to even the Foreign Secretary and Joint Secretary but there is no response,” he added. “The officials here and in the Chinese Embassy in Beijing say they are waiting for each other’s response.”

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In 2017, Wang met a visiting Chinese official who later facilitated his visit to China to meet his family.

He was captured by Indian forces in January 1963 when he had “lost his way back to China to stay in Indian territory” following the India-China war. He claimed to be a surveyor with the Chinese army but was convicted for spying. He remained in various jails for about seven years before being released from the Balaghat jail.

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He later settled in Tirodi village, where he initially worked in a flour mill before starting a grocery shop. He married an Indian woman, Sushila, and had four children — two sons and two daughters.

After a media report about his life in exile in 2017, officials from the Chinese embassy in Delhi were moved and worked to facilitate his journey to China in February that year. Under a multi-entry visa valid till February 2018, he was taken to Xianyang city in Shaanxi province, where his elder brother stayed. After an emotional reunion with his family, he returned to India in May the same year. He again went to China in July and returned in October to see his ailing wife Sushila, who died during Diwali, days after his return.

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Wang made two more visits to China in 2018, first in January under an old visa and later in October under a visa that had been renewed in March 2018. Since then, he has been stuck in China due to non-renewal of visa, which had to be done in March this year.

“We are running from pillar to post to facilitate his return but officials are not responding,” said Vishnu, adding, “When he first visited China, (Foreign Secretary) Vijay Gokhale was the Indian Ambassador to China.” Vishnu’s profile picture on WhatsApp shows his father with Gokhale.

In February 2018, Wang had written to the Indian government to compensate him for the “torture” he had suffered in India during his stay. “He was beaten up by the police in 1971, 1990 and 1995 for various concocted reasons. He was even jailed in 1995. This is what he was referring to in his plea for compensation,” Vishnu said.

“After Wang’s story came out in the media, the then Balaghat Collector had promised me a job. But nothing has been done,” said Vishnu, who currently works in an explosives factory in Balaghat district. “The two governments should decide our final fate. We are ready to even shift permanently to China.”

First uploaded on: 30-08-2019 at 04:49 IST
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