1. A Foreigner In My Own Country!
By Mr. Nupur Das

2. In my own land
• I saw the Bollywood movie ‘My name is Khan’ a few years
ago, often came across reports of known personalities
detained longer for frisking in airports just because they are
suspected for his/her (sur)name or places they belong to.
• But this time it was my turn, and in my own country where I
was asked to get a foreigners entry pass to enter into a
monument just because I belonged to a place which was a
disturbed area.

3. That moment
• For a night stay, me along with two of my friends decided to
visit Agra after appearing at our mid semester exams.
• We started our journey on a very happy mood and on 17th of
march in the morning, when we had decided to visit the Taj
mahal which is obvious to visit once you are in Agra, we were
greeted with some unwanted and unjustified behavior by the
security personals and the ticket checkers at the gate of the
Taj mahal.

4. What really happened
• One of my friends was from Afghanistan and is pursuing his
masters together with us in Delhi University, hence, we
thought he would be allowed to enter the premises of the
monument with the ticket meant for local public.
• On checking at the gate, we were kindly informed by the
security guards that he being a foreign national had to get
the pass meant for foreign tourists which cost around 500
rupees.
• On knowing the amount of the ticket, we were surprised and
feared a shortage of our limited pocket money; hence, I
returned to the guard to ask if there was any kind of
concession for him, being the student of an Indian University.

5. • On hearing such question, the guard asked me for an id proof
and on providing them with my college ID card and library
card, I was denied permission to enter the monument
premises.
• I was even more surprised as the guard and the ticket checker
were willing to allow me to enter inside the monument if I
bought the pass which was meant for the foreign tourists,
when I could not provide with another Id proof apart from the
university library proof and college id card. I, being a more
responsible citizen than the guard, explained to him that I
don’t see the need to buy a ticket which was meant only for
the foreign tourists.

6. • I went to the extent of explaining the guard that I was from
Guwahati and briefly described him the geographical location
of my hometown as it was nothing new for me when some
people asked me in which country my city was.
• May be the ticket checker and the guard were not convinced
with my explanation, they debarred me and my other friends
from entering the Taj Mahal on the condition that I provide
another Id proof having govt. of India tag or get a foreigners
pass.
• While my friend from Afghanistan was allowed to enter after
getting a pass meant for foreigners, my other friend who
(wasn’t from Afghanistan) tried to further explain the matter
to the guards was physically pushed back as if we were there
for rioting and the only reply we got from them was that they
doubted me and refused to elaborate on it.

7. • Dismayed, we strolled on to the other side for entry to the Taj
Mahal; giving a last try to get a glimpse and clarify that we
have faced similar confusion but were allowed to enter once
we provided the necessary details.
• Was this a lack of knowledge of the security guards who host
hundreds of tourists if not less than that or is it the common
stereotype that generally develops towards people belonging
to disturbed areas who is always seen as a miscreant?
• I, being an enlightened individual, simply moved on as I knew
a person who is not well aware on this issues must not be
blamed individually, rather make them aware on it and the
management can take a appreciable initiative for it.

8. • Read more on Youth Ki Awaaz