Recall of Indian High Commissioner triggers protest

A protest was held in Wellington yesterday against the apparent recall of the Indian High Commissioner Harish Kumar Dogra.

It has been widely reported that Mr Dogra has been ordered to return home although the commissioner has refused to confirm or deny the reports.

Mr Dogra has faced complaints from the Indian community in New Zealand about visa delays and refusals.

But an Indian journalist Verkat Raman, based in Auckland, said today the recall had nothing to do with visa delays and refusals.

He said: "It is something else, and what it is we'll never know because that's between the government of India and the individual concerned."

Mr Raman said the impending recall was true because it had appeared in all the newspapers in New Delhi, and if those reports were incorrect, "the government would have asked for a correction".

Yesterday, Mr Dogra's wife, Neeta, handed in her diplomatic passport in protest over the recall.

But Mr Raman said he did not understand why she had decided to do so.

"Without a passport, what will she do? Without a passport she can't travel. She can't go back to India."

Yesterday's protest, attended by around 30 people, was organised by Paramjit Singh, president of the New Zealand Sikh Society.

He said that Mr Dogra had been a victim of a sustained campaign.

The New Zealand Indian Central Association president Ashokbhai Darji said relations with the commissioner were good.

"His Excellency and our association have regular meetings and deliberations to discuss various issues which come up from time to time. These are resolved in a very amicable manner," he said.

"The Indian High Commission and Indian High Commissioner are very approachable and His Excellency is a regular visitor to our functions and meetings when invited."

The office of the High Commissioner was not available for comment this morning.

- NZPA