2 year old NZ boy figures in India's terrorism blacklist?

A 2-year-old New Zealand boy and his Indian-born mother were barred from India and, on their return to Auckland, delayed for four hours and questioned after their names appeared on a terrorism blacklist.
After a 20-hour journey to New Delhi, Shubhneet Kaur, a New Zealand citizen from Manukau, and her son, Bachint Vir Singh, were turned back to New Zealand despite holding valid tourist visas for India.
They pair arrived back in Auckland three days after their Monday evening departure - only to face a Customs interrogation about why they were on India's list of possible terrorists.
"My wife and baby boy were treated like criminals," said Ranvir Lali Singh, a builder, justice of the peace and secretary of the Auckland Sikh Society.
"My son is just a 2-year-old baby and my wife is a housewife.
"It is so ridiculous to even suggest they can be terrorists or pose a threat to India's security."
In Auckland, Mrs Kaur was repeatedly questioned by several people about why she and her son were denied admission into India, and every item of her luggage was searched.
Despite pleas from Mr Singh from the arrivals lounge for the toddler to be released to him, the boy was kept with his mother throughout her ordeal.
The 35-year-old has lived in New Zealand for 12 years and has been a citizen since 2003. Bachint was born in New Zealand in August 2007.
"If their names are really on India's watchlist, why did the Indian High Commission issue tourist visas for them to go to India?"
Mr Singh said he would lodge a formal complaint with the high commission and ask Labour Party foreign affairs spokesman Chris Carter, a former Minister of Ethnic Affairs, to raise the issue at a diplomatic level.
16/01/10 Lincoln Tan/nzherald.co.nz, New Zealand

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Categories: Airports Jan 2010, Foreign Jan 2010