50 Years On, Calcuttas Chinese Still Cry For Recognition

The 10,000-odd Chinese families, who have been an integral part of Calcutta for over half a century, are still waiting for the Indian government to recognise them as citizens.

Amidst celebration of handover of Hong Kong, the last prominent bastion of British colonialism, Chinese expatriates who fled Communist China remain unsure about their identity in their adopted country.

The right to citizenship became a key issue for the community after the 1962 Chinese aggression when an Indian government directive, reacting against the Chinese action, ordered the expulsion of all Chinese employees working in Indian establishments.

Says a Chinese tannery owner, In the pre-1962 era, Chinese expertise in carpentry was in high demand in steel and tea industries. However, with the