Ex-soldier from China who crossed over in 1962 war yearns for home

Bhopal, October 28

A 77-year-old former soldier from China, who entered India during the 1962 Sino-India war after allegedly losing his way and later settled in Madhya Pradesh, is longing to go back to his native land and reunite with his siblings.

Septuagenarian Wang Qi, who lives with his wife and children in Tirodi area of naxal-affected Balaghat district, has been harbouring a desire to see his relatives since the last five decades but his wish hasn’t been fulfilled for want of a permit from the Indian government and other procedural roadblocks.

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Wang who has grown frail over the years might now face more hardships in visiting his homeland given the prevailing tension in Indo-China relations but he is still hopeful.

His younger son Vishnu Wang (35) told PTI that his father had joined the Chinese army in 1960 and he entered India from the eastern frontiers after losing his way in pitch darkness one night.

He landed in Assam where he was caught by Indian Red Cross Society and handed over to Indian Army on January 1, 1963.

“My father spent six years in different prisons in Assam, Ajmer and Delhi. The Punjab and Haryana High Court finally released him in March 1969,” he said.

“The Indian government had promised to the court that it would rehabilitate my father. He was taken to Delhi, Bhopal, Jabalpur and then finally handed over to Balaghat police,” he said.

After coming to Balaghat, Wang, in order to eke out a living, started working as a watchman with a mill where his colleagues started calling him by name Raj Bahadur apparently due to his Nepali features, Vishnu said.

But little did he know that the enemy nation against whom he had waged a war would become his home, where he would rear a family. Qi married his wife Sushila in 1975 but his desire to live a comfortable life was short-lived.

“Soon after my father married my mother, the Indian government stopped his monthly pension of Rs 100,” Vishnu, who works with a small business unit as an accountant said.

“My father faced a lot of hardships, wanting to go to China. He tried very hard and even entered into correspondence with the then prime ministers but in vain,” he said.

According to Vishnu, Wang also moved a plea in Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2009 for going to China but couldn't succeed.

"His life has been difficult as he couldn't get Indian citizenship because of his Chinese origin. Hence, he couldn't buy land or avail other facilities," he said.

Home sick Wang's mother died in 2006 but he could not be with his dear ones in the time of grief, Vishnu added.

Three years later he met his nephew Yun Chun, who had come to India as a tourist in New Delhi and narrated his ordeal to him.

After returning home, Chun got in contact with Chinese politicians and authorities to bring his uncle home. Finally, he met then Chinese Foreign Minister who helped Wang to get a Chinese passport in March 2013.

He said his father wants permission from the Indian government to go to China to see his four brothers and two sisters before he dies but is not getting any help.

"My father talks to them over phone often in his native language," he said.

Wang will return to India after meeting them, he added.

Vishnu lost his elder brother Shyam for lack of money for his treatment in 2007. He had suffered from epilepsy. He has two sisters.

Meanwhile, Balaghat Inspector General of Police G Janardhan said he was aware of Wang's situation.

Another police officer said as the matter relates to External Affairs Ministry and the Chinese Embassy, they couldn’t help him.

However, BSP leader and former MLA of Lanji area, Balaghat, Kishore Samrite said he would seek an appointment with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and help Wang get permission to travel to China. — PTI