National Council of Gujarati Organisations (NCGO) UK organised a community interaction with the High Commission of India. Deepak Chaudhary, Minister of Coordination, High Commission of India interacted with community members at the Sangat Advice Centre, Harrow on 6 October 2023. He assured that the High Commission will make all the efforts to reach out to the community and answered questions asked.
Q: Can an OCI holder cross any land border in India?
Mr Chaudhary: OCI provides only two things less than the citizenship of India. OCI is not to be misconstrued as 'dual citizenship'. OCI does not confer political rights. If there is any doubt or you want to know the rights of an OCI card holder, please go through the write-up available on the website of HCI London.
Q: What if an applicant has a middle name on their UK birth certificate but not on their British Passport?
Mr Chaudhary: OCI cards cannot be given if there is any difference in the multiple related documents. Like Name, Middle name, address etc. In India, the rule about the name is very clear. Retention of the citizenship certificate will be required for the OCI card. India doesn't allow dual citizenship. One can apply for retention and attach the receipt along with the OCI application.
Q: In the OCI application if the original birth certificate is lost, can a photocopy be submitted if attested by the applicant?
Mr Chaudhary: No copy will be accepted. If it is a second time issued copy by the authority, then only it is acceptable.
Q: In the case of an OCI holder, when a new British passport is issued, is the OCI certificate transferred to the new passport digitally once the application is made to the HCI?
Mr Chaudhary: New passport, old passport, OCI along with all information, updates and FAQs are on the website. We have put the maximum information there. It may be a slightly difficult process, but it is necessary as thousands of applications are coming daily. People may make mistakes, so filters are necessary.
Online Visas are given in 72 hours. If it is not an emergency, please apply with a good margin. In the case of Medical or any other emergency, it is better to go for a visa through the embassy.
Some other questions were: Can the High Commission of India in London issue a certificate to visit the new Sansad Bhavan in India? And what if the spouse of an OCI holder is denied OCI after her husband’s death? There are many cases like that. Mr Chaudhary assured to look into the matter.
In his closing remarks, he said, “It is a matter of happiness and privilege to join this initiative. It is a well-known fact how much the Gujarati community has achieved. India is very proud of that. NCGO has a complete range of representation of communities. The high commission will make every possible effort within its resources.”
The welcome speech was given by NCGO President Vimalji bhai Odedara. He said networking with the diaspora is very important. We must work hand in hand with the same energy.
CB Patel, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar and Patron of NCGO said that this umbrella body is working for the community. Coordination among community organisations and the authorities is done very responsibly. It is the largest group of Gujarati organisations outside India. Sangat Advice Centre is doing remarkable work to serve humanity.
