On the other hand, fellow travellers with an American passport who also lacked the aforementioned visa, were reportedly given a five-star hotel with free meals.
Picture courtesy : X
In a rant video that recently went viral, Anisha Arora, an Indian woman based in New York was stuck in an uncomfortable situation at a German airport. Arora, who had missed her connecting flight from Frankfurt due to a delay, was offered a “capsule-sized room” because of her Indian passport and lack of Schengen visa. On the other hand, fellow travellers with an American passport who also lacked the aforementioned visa, were reportedly given a five-star hotel with free meals.
In her Instagram reel, Arora showed the tiny room, and stated, “I never really cared about my passport until now,” and captioned the video, “Why this partiality”. While the other travellers were able to leave the airport and explore the city, Arora wasn’t even allowed to due to her lack of the Schengen visa.
In a similar incident of the Indian passport being more of a detriment than a privilege, a travel vlogger known as On Road Indian on Instagram created a video claiming to have been denied entry into multiple countries due his passport. In a fit of frustration, the influencer pointed to his Indian passport, and said, “This thing that I have, it has no value. Don't get happy thinking of Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka. Our passports are of no use in difficult countries; He further added that he wasn’t allowed to travel to Jordan after they saw his passport, despite him having the money, the documents, and a great travel history. Even China offers Indian passport holders only 24-hour visa-free transit compared to citizens of other countries who usually get 10 days. Repeat incidents such as these have opened up a conversation on social media with a user commenting, “Bitter truth! Finally, someone who acknowledged the challenges Indian passport holders face with global mobility.” & We don't deserve it because of our uncivilised behaviour; another one commented.
In 2025, the Indian passport has slipped down by five places from the 80th to the 85th in the list of most powerful passports in the world, according to the Henley Passport Index.
This article is authored by Rishima Mosali from Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune. Intern at Deccan Chronicle
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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