A 94-year-old woman claims Indian citizenship in Andhra Pradesh, says she wants to die as an Indian.
Kundrajunta Mahalakshamma, 94, became a US citizen in 2000 and has lived in the United States for about 18 years. Now she wants to regain her Indian citizenship because the Andhra Pradesh woman’s last wish is to die as an Indian.
A video of her meeting the district authorities urging them to make her an Indian citizen soon is going viral.Mahalakshmamma is a native of Chinthagumpala village in Chinaganjam Mandal, Baptala, Andhra Pradesh. She, accompanied by her son, appeared before Bapatla District Collector G Venkata Murali on Wednesday and requested that her citizenship application be processed as soon as possible.Mahalakshamma said that after the death of her husband, Nagabhushanam, she moved to Petersburg, Virginia, US, to live with her son, Pushaya Chaudhary, an oncologist.
She obtained US citizenship in July 2000 and lived there for approximately 18 years.She returned to India in 2018 and settled in her native village after her son started working at the NRI Hospital in Mangalagiri.She said she has already renounced her US citizenship and applied for Indian citizenship through the online portal. She told officials that she wanted to spend the rest of her life in her homeland and wanted her last rites to be held in her native village.
She said, “Jaro Jamia, my age is approaching 95 years. My only wish is to spend my last days in my motherland as an Indian citizen. I want my last rites to be performed in my native village. I have already renounced my American citizenship. Please help me obtain Indian citizenship as soon as possible.” She stressed that she would respect the Constitution of India and abide by all the laws of the country if she regained her citizenship. She urged the authorities to give her the legal right to live the rest of her life in the country where she was born.The collector said that the application will be processed according to the procedure. After completion of the investigation, a report will be sent to the state government, which will then send its recommendation to the Center for citizenship consideration.