Telling Our Stories: Raising Awareness, Creating a Community
Though the events of the 1962 internment are remnants of the past, the experiences, memories and psychological trauma cannot be erased. While AIDCI is committed to gaining a formal apology from the Indian government, the organization is also committed to building a safe network in which survivors can share their stories and raise awareness about the 1962 internment. The following narratives were written based on a series of interviews conducted by AIDCI member Yeeva Cheng in 2012.
Andy's Story
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Andy Hsieh was a student at a boarding school in Shillong when he was taken to Deoli. A teenager at the time, he vividly remembers the school principal approaching him at breakfast and telling him, along with a few other Chinese-Indian students, to report to the principal's office. In the office, he was met by two or three policemen. The police informed the students that they intended to "protect" the students. The students were told to take their belongings and books with them in case they needed to study while away. However, his books were of no use--Andy was never able to return to school. Now the current president of AIDCI, Andy shares his story.
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Ying Sheng's Story
Ying Sheng Wong was born in Calcutta, India on September 13, 1945 to a Chinese Hakka immigrant family. Like many other Hakka Indians, his father was in the shoe business. During his youth, Ying Sheng attended the local Chinese school in Calcutta. His family later moved to Shillong in Assam in mid-1950. His entire family of eight people, which comprised of his parents, four brothers and two sisters, were taken by Indian security forces to Deoli Camp in Rajasthan in November 1962 at the height of Sino-Indian war. After witnessing his father's death and after struggling to support his family, he is a very passionate member of AIDCI and is committed to sharing his experiences with the public.
Mr. and Mrs. Tang's Story
Mr. and Mrs. Tang were taken to the camp on November 20th of 1962. That evening, they answered a knock at the door at two in the morning. A police officer stood in the dark and instructed Mr. Tang and his parents to prepare to leave. He didn’t give much of an explanation as to why they were being taken or where they would be taken. Three hours later, the military personnel came to take Mr. Tang and his parents away. When Mrs. Tang heard the officer mention that only her husband would be taken away, she insisted that she and her children accompany him.
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