Saibal Dasgupta, TNN | Jul 22, 2012, 10.59PM IST
BEIJING: Indian officials managing a youth delegation found themselves struggling to curb rampant harassment of girls by a section of the boys during their week-long tour of China. Desperate officials were forced to separate men and women in separate buses to avoid an untoward incident, according to some of the delegations members.
"I wonder if the youth affairs ministry chose some of the boys on the basis of their ability to use abusive language and harass girls," one of the women in the delegation told TNN. The 100-member team returned to India Saturday after spending 10 days at the invitation of the Chinese government.
Ministry secretary Nita Chowdhury told reporters in Beijing delegation members were chosen on the basis of their community service and certain special qualities out of different organizations like the government-backed National Social Service and the Nehru Yuva Kendrabesides different political parties and university outfits.
Women members complained to both Chaudhury and the ministry in New Delhi before officials stepped in and asked some of the boys to behave, TNN was told. At one stage, a section of the troublemakers were ordered to keep out of a sightseeing tour and stay in their hotel rooms.
"Some of us were feeling ashamed being seen with these boys. We were hoping officials from the Nehru Kendra and the ministry were more strict. But they seemed helpless as well," a male member of the delegation said.
Officials talked about punishing and blacklisting the trouble makers, but it was a pointless threat because no one is hardly ever picked up on a youth exchange program a second time.
Some of the youth delegation, which is supposed to represent the best qualities of Indian youth, made lewd remarks on the dressing style of some Chinese girls and called them "chinkis".
They also nagged at girls in the delegation from the northeast. By the time the delegation moved to Inner Mangolia as part of the tour, the misbehaving boys began commenting on some north Indian girls as well, sources in the delegation said.
The tour also caused differences between the youth affairs and external affairs ministry over the Chinese decision to refuse visa to a member from Arunachal Pradesh. The external affairs ministry was peeved because it had been kept in the dark over the issue, sources said.
Link: Boys in Indian youth delegation harass girls, cause uproar in China tour
"I wonder if the youth affairs ministry chose some of the boys on the basis of their ability to use abusive language and harass girls," one of the women in the delegation told TNN. The 100-member team returned to India Saturday after spending 10 days at the invitation of the Chinese government.
Ministry secretary Nita Chowdhury told reporters in Beijing delegation members were chosen on the basis of their community service and certain special qualities out of different organizations like the government-backed National Social Service and the Nehru Yuva Kendrabesides different political parties and university outfits.
Women members complained to both Chaudhury and the ministry in New Delhi before officials stepped in and asked some of the boys to behave, TNN was told. At one stage, a section of the troublemakers were ordered to keep out of a sightseeing tour and stay in their hotel rooms.
"Some of us were feeling ashamed being seen with these boys. We were hoping officials from the Nehru Kendra and the ministry were more strict. But they seemed helpless as well," a male member of the delegation said.
Officials talked about punishing and blacklisting the trouble makers, but it was a pointless threat because no one is hardly ever picked up on a youth exchange program a second time.
Some of the youth delegation, which is supposed to represent the best qualities of Indian youth, made lewd remarks on the dressing style of some Chinese girls and called them "chinkis".
They also nagged at girls in the delegation from the northeast. By the time the delegation moved to Inner Mangolia as part of the tour, the misbehaving boys began commenting on some north Indian girls as well, sources in the delegation said.
The tour also caused differences between the youth affairs and external affairs ministry over the Chinese decision to refuse visa to a member from Arunachal Pradesh. The external affairs ministry was peeved because it had been kept in the dark over the issue, sources said.
Link: Boys in Indian youth delegation harass girls, cause uproar in China tour
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