A Prince George man has launched a hunger strike to express his frustration with apparent bureaucratic foot-dragging he says has delayed efforts to bring an adopted daughter to Canada from India.
Sarat Gupta was sitting in front of Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris's office Thursday with signs of protest around him.
He said the girl was adopted in 2008 and has a passport that's honoured around the world but immigration officers refuse to let her into the country.
Gupta said he started the hunger strike on Wednesday morning - he is also refraining from drinking any water but is going home at night - and plans to continue the protest until the issue is resolved.
"Canada has to listen," he said.
But he also stressed that staff at Harris's office are working on his matter - a staff member brought out an umbrella to protect him from the sun.
An onlooker suggested he is using the wrong tactic and recounted a handful of other failed attempts to convince the government to change its ways by going on hunger strikes.
In answer, Gupta recalled Ghandi's use of hunger striking to help gain India's independence from Britain.
"I'm not asking for anything big, I'm just asking for a visa," Gupta replied.
Staff at Harris's office declined to elaborate on the issue, citing privacy concerns, but did say they're doing what they can to help Gupta, who said he has not hired a lawyer to help with the case.
