Nagpur: Lachman Kukreja, an 84-year-old immigrant from Pakistan’s Sindh province, has finally received his Indian citizenship certificate after a prolonged wait of 24 years. This significant development marks a triumph for Kukreja and others like him who sought refuge in India due to threats from local gangs in Pakistan, a report in a local newspaper said.
According to the report, in the year 2000, Kukreja made the courageous decision to flee from Pakistan to India following a ransom call from a local gang. Settling in Nagpur, India, alongside many immigrants from Sindh province, Kukreja began a new chapter in his life. However, the path to obtaining Indian citizenship was arduous and riddled with challenges.
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Wed 11 Dec. 2024
Under normal circumstances, obtaining Indian citizenship through naturalization requires a waiting period of 12 years. However, for Kukreja and his family, the process was further complicated by the necessity of possessing a valid Pakistani passport, which had expired by the time they became eligible to apply. Numerous attempts to renew the passport through the Pakistani embassy were met with delays, prolonging their wait for citizenship.
Kukreja’s son, Jaiprakash, elucidated the challenges faced by their family, emphasizing the necessity of a valid Pakistani passport for citizenship application. A breakthrough came in 2014 with a relaxation in rules, allowing lapsed passports to be submitted to the Indian government instead of the Pakistani embassy. Subsequently, a fresh application for citizenship was initiated, culminating in the recent issuance of citizenship certificates to Kukreja and his wife, Meera.
Rajesh Jhambia from Sindh-Hind Panchayat highlighted the significance of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in streamlining the citizenship-granting process. However, he emphasized the need for the expeditious establishment of district committees to facilitate the processing of citizenship cases within Nagpur itself, the report said.
The successful acquisition of Indian citizenship by Lachman Kukreja serves as a beacon of hope for immigrants from Pakistan’s Sindh province who have long awaited recognition and security in their adopted homeland. While strides have been made with the implementation of the CAA, continued efforts are necessary to address bureaucratic hurdles and ensure timely resolution of citizenship applications for all eligible immigrants.
