Beijing, Feb 11: A Chinese soldier, who was stuck in India for over 50 years after crossing the border following the 1962 war, today returned to China with his Indian family members to a rousing reception and an emotional reunion with his kin.
Wang Qi, 77, was received by his close Chinese relatives, besides officials of the China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indian Embassy when he arrived here along with his son, daughter-in-law and grand daughter from Delhi-Beijing flight.
Wang later travelled to Xian, the provincial capital of Shaanxi province, where he was given a rousing reception by his family members and officials.
Chaos and confusion prevailed at the Xian airport as large contingent of Chinese media gathered there to interview him.
An emotional Wang broke down as he hugged his close Chinese relatives, whom he met for the first time after over five decades of separation.
“Today is my happiest day in 54 years. Finally I have come back to this beautiful lovely country. Words cannot express how I feel now,” he was quoted by the state-run CGTN as saying.
“It is a beautiful experience. I love to thank everyone.
In 54 years, I wrote so many reports to officials in India and now finally they agreed to let me return home,” he said.
Away from home for so long, he returned home on Lantern Day, the most important festival in China, representing the reunion of families. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the Chinese new year.
Wang was accompanied by his son Vishnu Wang, 35, daughter-in-law Neha and grand daughter Khanak Wang.
His Indian wife Shushila and daughter, however, have stayed back in India due to ill health, officials said.
Banners ‘welcome home soldier’ greeted him at the airport.
After their brief stay at the Beijing airport, Wang and family accompanied by two Indian diplomats flew to Xian from where he was due to travel to his village Xue Zhai Nan Cun located about 100 km away.
However, he along with family stayed put at a hotel in Xian as he was too tired to travel. Wang was expected to go there tomorrow and stay there for the next few days.
The village has been decorated with banners and the local government said he would be allotted a house, if he stays back. His return was widely reported in the state media here.
“He was not able to live comfortably as Indian authorities stopped his monthly pension. Wang has been denied Indian official document for citizenship. Nor he was allowed to travel back home,” CGTN alleged, narrating Wang’s ordeal.
Indian officials say that they received positive feed back from the Chinese government and his family for facilitating his return.
His return became a possibility after India and China worked out modalities for both Wang and his Indian family to travel together to China and later return as per their wish.
Wang’s arrival also set Weibo, the Chinese social media platform, abuzz with many netizens commenting on it.
“He did not retire, he is still active military personnel, he should be issued his 54 years of wages and allowances,” a Weibo blog read.
“I am wondering if his children should be in India, and cannot stay in China forever,” another blog read.
“Welcome you grandfather back to the motherland, now our country has become gradually prosperous. This is a new happy Lantern Festival in China,” said a blogger.
Wang was caught when he entered Indian territory shortly after the Sino-India war in 1962.
He was later released from jail and settled in Tirodi village of Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh.
Though his story has been published by Indian media several times in the past, a recent BBC TV feature on him highlighting his plight was widely picked by the Chinese social media, prompting the Chinese government to initiate action in coordination with India to facilitate his return.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier this month that he was provided a passport to travel to China in 2013 and he was also paid a living allowance.
The Chinese Ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, has recently spoken to him.
While the Chinese government has provided visas for his family to visit China, India has provided a re-entry visa for Wang to return back if he chooses to.
Indian officials termed the facilitation of Wang and his family’s travel by both sides as a positive development, specially at a time when Sino-India relations are stuck with differences over issues like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China’s opposition to India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and Beijing’s blocking of JeM chief Masood Azhar’s designation as a terrorist by the UN.
Before leaving for Beijing, Vishnu told media in India yesterday that “my father joined the Chinese Army in 1960 and he entered India through the eastern frontier after losing his way in the darkness one night.”
He landed in Assam where an Indian Red Cross team handed him over to the Indian Army on January 1, 1963.
“My father spent six years in prisons in Assam, Ajmer, Delhi before the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered his release in March 1969,” Vishnu said.
“The Indian government had promised to the court that it will rehabilitate my father. He was taken to Delhi, Bhopal, Jabalpur and then finally handed over to Balaghat police,” said his son.
Wang started working as a watchman with a mill and soon his colleagues named him Raj Bahadur, apparently due to his Nepali features, Vishnu said.
Wang’s mother died in 2006 but he could not be with his dear ones in the time of grief, Vishnu said.
Three years later he met his nephew Yun Chun, who had come to India as a tourist and narrated his ordeal to him.
After returning home, Chun got in touch 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.
