Hashmi says she has attended conferences in 10 Indian states, but only lately has she started being snubbed. Insists she’ll attend if invited in future.
New Delhi: Days after renowned Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s daughter Moneeza Hashmi was denied permission to attend the 15th Asia Media Summit in the capital, the popular TV and media personality from Pakistan said she had faced a similar situation in October last year, when she was invited to Kolkata for a conference on terrorism in south Asia.
“I had a valid visa for Delhi and Amritsar. To include Kolkata in the visa, I applied multiple times, well in advance. But I was denied that too,” she told ThePrint by telephone.
Hashmi, 72, added that it was not only she who faced this at the time. “The late human rights lawyer Asma Jehangir’s daughter Munizae Jehangir was also denied visa to attend the conference,” Hashmi said.
No clarity on what happened this time
Hashmi was one of four speakers set to take part in a session titled ‘Should all good stories be commercially successful?’ on 10 May, the first day of the two-day media summit organised by the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development. The ministry of information and broadcasting was co-hosting the summit.
However, when Hashmi reached the venue, she was told by representatives of the AIBD that she wouldn’t be allowed to speak in the conference, nor be allowed to attend it, according to News18.
“I kept on asking for the reason, but I wasn’t given an explanation,” Hashmi said.
More than 200 foreign delegates participated in the event. Fifty-four speakers addressed various panel discussions on media and broadcasting. India was hosting the summit for the first time.
There was no representation from India’s public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, in the event.
No conference visa
While the ministry of external affairs hasn’t issued an official statement on the latest incident, sources say the reason Hashmi wasn’t allowed to attend the conference was because she didn’t have a conference visa, but a visitor visa.
Organisers need to apply to the MEA and route it to the ministry of home affairs, which is the final authority in case of conference and academic visas, sources said, adding that the conference visa process is an elaborate affair and can take up to four months to be issued.
It is understood that for citizens of Pakistan and a few other nations, the home ministry is the issuing authority, and its clearance is mandatory, whereas for other countries, the respective Indian embassies can issue any type of visa.
Hashmi said when she was invited by AIBD a few months ago, she wasn’t informed about the conference visa by either AIBD or the I&B ministry; nor did either of them facilitate it. She said she had attended conferences in at least 10 Indian states, but it’s only of late that she has been facing this kind of response.
“How can they behave like this with a foreign delegate?” she asked.
On Saturday, Hashmi’s son, Ali Hashmi tweeted: “This is your Shining India? My 72-year-old mother, daughter of Faiz, denied permission to participate in conference after being officially invited. Shame.” The tweet was marked to the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj.
@PMOIndia @SushmaSwaraj
This is your #ShiningIndia??
My 72 year old mother, daughter of #Faiz denied permission to participate in conference after being officially invited#Shamehttps://t.co/9bnc0E2OZd— Ali Hashmi (@Ali_Madeeh) May 12, 2018
Government of India spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said he was not aware of this incident. ThePrint reached the I&B ministry spokesperson for comment but there was no response until the time of publishing the report.
Hashmi, however, insisted the incident wouldn’t deter her from attending conferences in India in the future. “I am all for peace between the countries and would be happy to attend conferences in India in the future,” she said.
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist, Barnala(Punjab)
It was quite unfortunate and disappointing to learn that Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry denied permission to Ms.Moneeza Hashmi – a celebrated TV and Media personality of the world to express her learned views in 15th Asia Media Summit organised in New Delhi- the heart as well as capital of the nation. Very disgusting to find deprived of her enlightened thoughts on the
role of TV and media in the day to day world in this media summit .The onus for this discourteous lapse obviously must fall on the hosts of this summit. Ironically, after extending invitation as well as listing her as a speaker at the 15th Asia Media Summit and then refusing her permission left a bad taste in the mouth ! It is indeed elating to know about her determination and valiant spirit in the media reports that she would not be deterred from attending conferences in India in future.Furthermore, expressing her optimism of peace between the two nations she remarked she would be happy to attend conferences in India in future ! This speaks volumes of her broadminded and visionary outlook .Courtesty demands at least an apology on the part of hosts because undesirable behaviours like this cannot at all imply road-blocking of finest and beautiful ideas anywhere in the cosmos !
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala(Punjab)