312 Sikhs taken off MHA’s ‘adverse list’, only two remain

The government’s move will help them visit India and meet their family members, according to sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Sources said the government has reviewed the adverse list and brought it down to just two who are still suspected of being linked with forces inimical to India. The review is a dynamic process that is carried out periodically, sources said.

An MHA official said, “During the 1980s, many Sikh Indian nationals and foreign nationals belonging to the Sikh community fell to anti-India propaganda. Some Sikh Indian nationals fled abroad to escape the authorities, and took asylum outside. They were placed in the adverse list until 2016, making them ineligible to avail visa services to visit India.”

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According to the official, a major issue coming in the way of grant of consular or visa services to asylees (people seeking or granted asylum) and their family members, mostly belonging to the Sikh community, was maintenance of local adverse lists by Indian missions.

“This practice has also been discontinued,” the official said. “Consequently, all Indian missions/posts abroad have been advised to grant appropriate visa to all categories of asylees and derivative asylees (or family members) whose names do not figure in the Central Adverse List, in line with the procedure followed for other categories of applicants of that nationality.”

Sources said all categories of asylees who become eligible for issuance of long term Indian visa will also be eligible to apply for registration as Overseas Citizen of India cardholders after they have applied for and held normal visas for a period of two years.