Harassment – Others

An Auckland doctor says she will not be silenced by the Indian government after being warned she faces a ban on returning to her homeland because of her political activities and online criticisms.
Dr Sapna Samant, a GP and filmmaker, was told her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status was being revoked due to her social media accounts, a radio interview and being on the Green Party website.
The OCI is a card given to Indians who become New Zealand citizens, allowing them to keep certain birthrights – including travelling to India.
Samant said the move did not bode well for free speech for Indians in New Zealand and she was concerned about what concessions might be made during talks for a free trade agreement with an India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian High Commission in Wellington wrote to her in January, putting her on notice it was considering the OCI revocation due to “activities inimical to the sovereignty and integrity of India and the interests of the general public” – specifically her X/Twitter and YouTube accounts, the Green Party website (she stood as a candidate in the 2023 elections) and an interview with Auckland radio station 95bFM.
“Contents used by the foreigner on the said platforms can cause disharmony among various members and sections of the society,” it said.

The Indian government sent Sapna Samant a notice about her ‘disharmony’ on social media.
“And because of these reasons, they are thinking all of these things have caused social disharmony,” Samant said.
“I asked… have they actually sent a similar notice to other Indians who are associated with other parties? Because we have freedom of choice over here, we can freely associate with any political party we want, and have they sent a similar notice to other Indians who have been members of Parliament and who are prominent in other political parties, or is it just me?”
In her reply to the High Commission, she asked why public debate was dangerous.