“Was CB the Editor of the Asian Voice (then known as New Life) was detained at Sahar (now called Chhatarpati Shivaji International Airport) in Bombay (Mumbai) on 28th November, 1986 for 9 hours even when he had a valid visa backed by blessings of Indian High Commissioner for his visit to India?
He was accused as a pro Khalistani, pro Pakistani and anti-Indian.” Why this happened? Who was responsible for it? These are a few lurking questions in the minds of people in community and being asked by many a think tanks, friends, supporters, those who know CB in and out in the UK or anywhere in the world for his background and contribution for the cause of community cohesion.
There is a report from the Times of India (on 28 Nov, 1986 front page) by K N Malik stating, Quote “Mr. C. B .Patel, a leading journalist who publishes and edits two widely-circulated,”Ethnic” weeklies,”New Life” and “Gujarat Samachar”, was this morning detained by the Bombay airport immigration authorities on his arrival from London by a British Airways Flight. Mr. Patel visited India two years ago as a guest of the Government of India. He held a valid visa to visit India. A spokesman of “New Life” publication said when Mr. Patel applied visa three days ago, he was told that the clearance would have to come from New Delhi. Since this would have taken quite some time, Mr. Patel approached the Indian High Commissioner, Dr. P.C.Alexander, who in turn spoke to New Delhi. The visa was given to Mr. Patel yesterday afternoon. The High Commission sources expressed surprise at Mr. Patel’s detention. A senior official said obviously there was some misunderstanding or a communication gap between the foreign office and the home office in New Delhi. Mr. Patel’s family and friends contacted the Indian High Commission and some of the top officials in New Delhi. It was later learnt that Mr. Patel would be allowed to go ahead with his visit. Several British politicians expressed surprise at Mr. Patel’s detention. They did not want to publicly comment as this might complicate the matter. They, however, said no one could accuse Mr. Patel of being anti-Indian. At one of the annual dinner of the Indian Journalists Association addressed by the Labour leader, Mr. Neil Kinnock, Mr. Patel was described as, “Communitybhai” Patel by Mr. Kinnock. Mr. Patel was resourceful enough and played an important role in the demand for unveiling of the plaque outside the house in which Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel lived in London by the GLC (Unquote)
“If a pure, dedicated Indian patriot like CB could be stopped at the airport” –then anybody can! was the message.
Was this detention based on shadowy rumours implied, as a subversive, dangerous to his beloved India’s sovereignty and security? Or a bizarre “mistake”, “communication gap” or result of a smear campaign, is a billion dollar question.
To know the facts and details, an urgent meeting was sought with the Indian High Commissioner, Dr. P C Alexander, by the National Congress of Gujarati Organisation to urge that a thorough investigation to be held into detention at Mumbai airport of New Life (Asian Voice) Editor C B Patel; as he was not apprised of it at the time of release. They asked how anyone with a valid visa can be prevented from entering India, detained at the airport that too for nine hours and threatened with deportation.
Indian Diasporas believe that the regime under dynamic leadership of PM Modi will demonstrate foreign policy and well- knit coordination between foreign missions and New Delhi to have an adequate mechanism in place to check rumour driven campaign spread by a class of people on personal agenda and obviate scope for such incidents in future. It will foster good relations between the Indian community here and their motherland which are so necessary for co-existence and resultant business ties between the two democracies which are inter-dependent on each other on account of legacies and business ties in the globalised environment.
CB added and dreaded to rethink in retrospect,” what could have happened if the same thing had happened to someone without those contacts”. “He proactively suggests to all concerned to ensure that this does not happen”. However, utmost concern is that no one else should have to go through the “nine hours of hell” he endured; though Mr. Buta Singh, the then Home Minister in Government of India spoke to CB over telephone tendering apologies for what had happened that time.
Next:
What actually had happened? Who did it? Why? What were the consequences? See next week for answers.
