'India's treatment to a member of parliament of Afghanistan was not good and I am very upset about this.'
In a shocking incident, Afghan Member of Parliament Rangina Kargar was deported from New Delhi airport on August 20.
This happened four days after the Taliban captured Afghanistan by ousting the Ashraf Ghani government.
Kargar is a member of the Wolesi Jirga and represents Faryab province. She had traveled to New Delhi on a diplomatic passport which facilitates visa-free travel under a reciprocal arrangement with India.
"And yet, I was deported," Kargar tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com from Istanbul.
On August 17, India had announced that it would issue emergency e-visas to Afghan nationals who want to come to the country in view of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.
The Government of India had stated that all Afghans irrespective of religion could apply for the 'e-Emergency X-Misc Visa' online and the applications would be processed in New Delhi.
Kargar, however, states that the Web site was down most of the time.
You have been coming to India, but you were deported this time.
I was surprised and I was unwilling to believe that I was being deported. I was shocked.
I arrived on August 20. I had an appointment with my doctor in Delhi. I had a return ticket to Istanbul on August 23 and still I was not allowed to enter India. I was carrying Afghanistan's diplomatic passport.
When did you last visit India?
2019.
What did the immigration officer tell you?
They didn't tell me any reason for my deportation. When I gave my diplomatic passport to be stamped at the immigration counter, they did not stamp it.
They told me to wait and said there was some issue with the Afghanistan special diplomatic passport. And, I must wait for some time before they get a go-ahead.
How long did you wait at Delhi airport?
I waited for 3 hours. After that they called someone. I have no idea who it was. I guess someone from the external affairs ministry. I spoke to that person and I asked his name which he refused to divulge. He said he was speaking from the external affairs ministry. He told me it was unfortunate, but I would not be able to enter India.
Did he mention any specific reason?
I told him that the Afghanistan government had good relations with India. We had good political and national relations before the Taliban took control.
I also told him that I had entered India before on the Afghanistan diplomatic passport, so there should be no problem for me to enter this time too.
I also told him I had a return ticket to Istanbul on August 23.
He asked me about my doctor's appointment in Delhi and my past history of coming to India.
I also showed the immigration officer my ordinary Afghanistan passport which had visas to many countries, but still they did not allow me to enter (India).
Didn't you get an Indian visa on the regular Afghanistan passport?
It was an expired visa. The Indian government also stated that they are giving e-visas for Afghanistan nationals.
I applied for that for my small daughter, but that site is slow. It is not working still. I could not get that e-visa even after waiting for 72 hours though on the Web site it is written that Afghan nationals will get an Indian visa in 24-72 hours.
You mean the Indian Web site which issues visas for Afghan nationals is not working?
Yes. I applied for my small daughter, but I could not get a visa for her. So, I came all alone for my treatment to Delhi.
Now it is said you were not in Afghanistan for the last 14 months and you applied for political asylum to Canada, therefore you were not allowed.
I was not told about this at the immigration centre in New Delhi. Moreover, my new passport was issued one month before the Taliban took over.
If I was in Canada the Afghan government would not have given me a diplomatic passport one month ago. I got it because I am a member of parliament.
One is surprised because the Indian government is sending special planes for Afghan citizens and you say they are not allowing a member of the Afghan parliament to enter India.
They are sending planes to only carry Indian citizens (trapped) in Afghanistan. There were two members of Parliament of Afghanistan too like Narayan Singh and Anarkali who came back.
The Indian government says it is taking in Afghan citizens.
It is mostly students who were coming back to India. They are not allowing more of our citizens in India.
Where are you right now?
I am in Istanbul, Turkey.
Have you received any subsequent communication from the ministry of external affairs on your status?
I have not got any communication from their side.
What are you planning to do now?
I am going to be in Istanbul right now. My future plans, I have not decided yet.
Did Turkey have any problems with your diplomatic passport?
No, they have no problems with the Afghanistan diplomatic passport.
Any plans of re-applying for an Indian visa?
No, I have no plans to come to India.
My diplomatic passport works free of a visa in China, Turkey, Tajikistan and Iran too. It is only the Indian government who refused me entry.
India's treatment to a member of parliament of Afghanistan was not good and I am very upset about this action.
We had good political relations with the Indian government and I don't want to go through all this again.
One must understand I was not asking for asylum in India. I only came for medical treatment. I had a return ticket to Istanbul for August 23.
