Passport

Passport

Shenzen  is a big city in China.  I have traveled by road  from Hong Kong to Shenzeng. Hong Kong airport is a different airport where  the ferry comes almost inside the airport and  you can even transfer the luggage directly from the flight to ferry. On arrival at Hong kong visa is granted,but to enter Shenzhen separate visa and emigration is required.  So I am at the emigration gate of Shenzen and the Chinese police took my passport for their usual examination. I could see from outside they are scanning the first page , back page, inside papers, but something seems to be wrong as far as they are concerned. Then they  started consultations between the counters. I guessed that he is not getting the entries right in his computer. I got tensed up, because of an incident happened at Chennai passport office before I started this trip. I ruminated for a moment..

....I was summoned to Chennai  when I was waiting for the Tatkal passport. I went to Chennai and met the Passport officer in his cabin.

He said " You have taken another passport in Chennai address". We are contemplating  legal action against you for the fraud, he shouted. I could not imagine what he was telling me. But I got scared. I then  told him that 

" Sir, I have never stayed in Chennai and I am a government officer" you can verify my records of postings and I have never been posted to Chennai." This happened before my posting to Chennai. (Before 2004)

Your  name is Varghese Joy. Right ?. 19 May 1959 is your birthday ?. Isn't. It ?. Computer says, "you are holding another passport". We will give you two days, if you prove that you  are different from the other Varghese Joy, we will leave you free. But the  onus of proving your identity and innocence lies with you, he added.

I stayed for another day and got the first file of other Varghese Joy with great difficulty.  When the passport office was computerized, the photo of old files were not uploaded along with other data. When I collected  the file, the photo of that person was different. The computer blocked my case because the name and date of birth was  matching.   The computer blocking was correct. I took the file to the  officer and he verified the file and looked at me. He was satisfied and  closed the case. New  passport was issued to me.

When the Chinese  police officer was  doing all that he could do with my passport, my mind inside was replaying the entire incident. I thought,  the same Varghese records   might be creating the problem now ?.  Any way, After some questioning , He let me off and allowed to go. 

It is very rare that we come across another person with same name and same date of birth in our life. Not everyone will be asked to prove their identity like this too. Really strange.