Diplomatic ties, Chinese app ban: All that's in the way of Indian students continuing their studies in China's varsities 

Students are waiting for the arrival of China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi so their uncertainties find some solace. But if they are not allowed to go back, here's what they are proposing  
Here's what the students are saying | (Pic: Edexlive)
Here's what the students are saying | (Pic: Edexlive)

Will he, won't he? That's the question on everyone's mind with regards to Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi's yet-to-be-confirmed official visit to India. If he does decide to come, the Government of India will certainly have a long list of concerns to share with him. There are many who believe that somewhere at the top of that list, the concerns of Indian students should be addressed, the same students who were pursuing medical courses in Chinese universities but have been stuck in India for the last two years, unable to go back to China to pursue their studies due to the temporary travel ban owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The India-China story
It all started around March 2020, when most Indian students returned from China on their winter break, not knowing that the COVID-19 outbreak was around the corner. Lockdown followed by the travel ban by China in November 2020 kept them in India and, since then, they've been here, losing out on a crucial experience. Then there are the orders by National Medical Commission (NMC) first stating that medical degrees without practicals will not be considered as MBBS in India. And, in the more recent order, the commission allowed students to pursue internships in India, but if they don't get their degrees, they will not be permitted to continue with their internships. This is the predicament that over 23,000 students are facing currently. 

Add to that the already tense relations between India and China starting afresh after the clash at the Line Of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh two years ago and everything went downhill from there, especially with the banning of Chinese apps by the Indian government. There have been attempts, but China continues to be firm on its stand on the travel ban. Students from Pakistan, Singapore, Mongolia and Thailand have started returning to China in small numbers, but the restrictions remain the same for Indian students, which has only gone on to heighten their uncertainty. 

Hear their plea
But if you think we are hearing about their troubles only now, then you are mistaken. There are many voices that have been raising the issue and one of them is of a group of students who have united under the initiative Indian Students in China. Started ten months ago with 50 students, it now has over 4,300 students who are demanding that the Government of India ensures that they are sent back to China. This January, these students finished two years of online classes and now, as Shahnawaz Khan says, "it's about time". A student of Anhui University in China’s Anhui Province and one of the forerunners of the initiative, Shahnawaz has realised one thing. That even if China does allow Indian students to return in batches, it will be a long time before the dust settles. That's why they are hoping that the Government of India and the NMC step up soon.

Twitter campaigns, protests and meeting MLAs of states where they have representation, Indian Students in China's voice is indeed gaining momentum with hashtags like #FMWangYiSaveIndianStudents, #TakeUsBackToChina and #TakeIndianStudentsBackToChina. "China is just so stubborn!" fumes Shahnawaz, maintaining that their primary demand continues to be that they are sent back to China at the earliest. And the alternate? "That's why we are appealing that we be allowed to pursue practicals in India and it should be valid under the NMC. There should be no objection," says the final-year student. 

Mental stress, educational loans weighing them down, their important documents and belongings stuck back in China, paying rent for their spaces back in China because they are under contract and several other problems are hounding these students, highlights Shahnawaz. Another student Shurbhi S talks about how she has to use VPN (virtual private network) to join her classes, which is a whole other problem altogether.

"We are being mocked and called Google Doctors, it's hard on us in ways that no one can imagine," he shares.

This is their petition
Rachita Kurmi, also one of the students part of the initiative, started a petition on change.org titled 'Facilitate Return Of Indian Medical Students to China, Or Arrange Practicals in India' that has reached over 1,557 out of the 2,500 signatures it is seeking. "Our troubles only grew after the Chinese app ban. We were depending on WeChat and DingTalk where all our recorded lectures were shared, communication with our professors happened, because WhatsApp is banned there. The ban of Chinese apps led to so much chaos," rues Rachita, who pursues her medical education at Shandong University. 

"I don't know why people have this mindset that it's because we are rich we go abroad. It's actually the exact opposite, we don't get into government colleges and can't afford the exorbitant fees charged by private colleges in India, which is why we go to China or even Ukraine for that matter," says Rachita vehemently. Speaking about Ukraine, she does feel that in the shadow of the grave plight of students who have returned from war-torn Ukraine, their problem might not be receiving much limelight, which is why they are only doubling their efforts to make their concerns known. Not just the petition, the students have delivered letters to the Prime Minister's Office, one for the prime minister and another for Wang Yi. "Since foreign policy and diplomatic relations are coming into play, it's becoming even more complicated," says the Mumbaikar, admitting that when Winter Olympics were held in Beijing amidst the pandemic, hope had rekindled in their hearts that the travel ban will be lifted. 

Don't even get Rachita started about the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), a screening exam for medical graduates that declares if they are eligible to practice in India. Right now, even that is a big uncertainty because most of their classes have happened online. "We did not choose the online mode thus, online classes should be valid for FMGE as well. It's called a screening test for a reason after all. If after that, they decide we are not eligible to practice, that's fine by us!" she explains.

Parents, associations voice concern
Foreign Medical Graduates Parents Association (FMGPA), a registered association of parents, recently staged a protest at the Kerala Secretariat in the hope to seek recognition of the training in India which these Indian students who have returned back from China are pursuing. "They are not sitting idle. They are undertaking training in private hospitals, even at a cost, but the problem is that these are not recognised or approved by the Government of India nor NMC. The private hospitals and colleges are ready to issue certificates, but they will not be approved. In a situation where the government fails to send back our children to China, we want them to either provide the practical experience or approve of it," says Andrews Mathew, President, FMGPA. 

Kerela has about 3,000 students who are stuck here, but overall, the numbers are as high as 23,000, which is why this association is trying to coordinate with students across India. To this effect, they have submitted memorandums to several MPs and MLAs across India and even written letters to the President, Prime Minister and Health Minister. They've met Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Vellamvelly Muraleedharan as well. "We understand to be good doctors our children need practical experience which is why we want them to go back to China as soon as possible," says Mathew and adds, "The pandemic is a natural disaster and students are just one of the victims. It is the duty of the Indian government to help them."

The diplomacy that China shares with Pakistan, Korea and other countries is good and incidentally, the students there are being called back to China. India's diplomacy with China is on shaky grounds. "This is a problem not just for students, but traders and employees as well," says Prof Ravindra Babu Konduri, President, Indian Association of China (IAC). He is sure that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Government of India are aware of their dilemma and have been using diplomatic channels to find a solution. But in his 20 years of experience of staying in China and dealing with the officials there, they prefer a positive and political dialogue, he asserts.

"The Government of India should protect the Indian students and give them the green signal to pursue their practicals and internships in Indian colleges," suggests the professor. He also suggests that the solution should be arrived at by India in a federal way, in consultation with the states.      

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