'Humaari koi aukaat nahi': Indian vlogger detained in China over Arunachal remarks, recounts 15-hour ordeal

Anant Mittal

Indian travel vlogger Anant Mittal claims he was detained by Chinese authorities for nearly 15 hours after posting a video supporting an Arunachal Pradesh citizen previously detained in China. Mittal says he has no political agenda and shared his experience online.

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Anant Mittal, Indian travel vlogger, also known online as On Road Indian, has alleged that he was detained by Chinese authorities for nearly 15 hours after he posted a video expressing solidarity with an Arunachal Pradesh citizen who was earlier detained in China.

During his detention in China, the vlogger was questioned, had his belongings searched, and was not allowed to contact the Indian Embassy.

“Hum bahot chhote log hain. Humaari koi aukaat nahi (We are very small people. We have no value at all),” he said when he narrated his 15-hour ordeal afterwards.

The incident occurred on November 16, shortly after Mittal entered China. He later shared a detailed account of what he described as a disturbing and frightening experience through an Instagram post and a longer video uploaded on YouTube.

Mittal said he has no political affiliations and never intended to provoke authorities.

“I have no hate for anyone. I just love everyone and share this world with you through my eyes. I'm not linked to any political agenda,” he wrote on Instagram.

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According to Mittal, his emotional connection to Arunachal Pradesh stems from having studied in India’s Northeast for three years. He said he was deeply affected after hearing about an Arunachal citizen being detained in China and decided to speak about it online. That video, he believes, triggered his detention.

Mittal said he was stopped immediately at immigration upon arrival. A sticker placed on his passport reportedly set off an alert in the system, following which an officer escorted him to a detention area where several other foreign nationals were being held.

For nearly two hours, no official spoke to him.

Later, he was taken into another room where Chinese officials confiscated his phone and camera to prevent him from recording anything. Mittal said they overlooked his iPad, which allowed him to later document his ordeal.

As the hours dragged on, Mittal said he repeatedly asked for information, water and food.

He was given water only once. Requests for food went unanswered. By the 12th and 13th hour, fear began to set in.

He said he realised that his earlier video supporting the detained Arunachal citizen may have led to the situation. Mittal admitted he feared he might never be allowed to return to India.

After nearly 15 hours, a Chinese officer reportedly returned and informed him that his “process” was complete and that he had to leave the country immediately. No explanation was provided, he said.

Mittal described himself as a simple travel vlogger with no political links, adding that he even has friends in China from his startup days.

He later confirmed that he had safely returned to India and uploaded the full account of the incident to YouTube, insisting that the video was not recorded under pressure.

“I'm sorry if I hurt anyone. I'm very small in front of these big powers. I am still crying while writing this caption,” he wrote.

“I am already back in India safely. I'm not uploading this video under any pressure. I'm just speaking from the heart to everyone. Namaste,” he added.

Mittal said he hoped both Indian and Chinese embassies would understand the fear he experienced, while also blaming himself for posting the video related to Arunachal Pradesh.

The incident comes to light just days after New Delhi lodged strong protests after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh reported that she was detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong Airport, where officials allegedly refused to acknowledge her Indian passport.

The Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral part of India,” stressing that any attempt by China to deny this fact does not change the “indisputable reality.”

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly criticised China over the “arbitrary detention” of an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh, calling Beijing’s actions a violation of international travel conventions and its own transit regulations.

Responding to statements issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the detained individual was travelling on a valid Indian passport and was only transiting through Shanghai International Airport en route to Japan.

Reasserting India’s long-held position, Jaiswal said Arunachal Pradesh “is an integral and inalienable part of India,” adding that no amount of denial from China would alter this “indisputable reality.”