Twenty-eight years after she had come to India with her husband and an infant from Sindh in Pakistan, Anita Keswani became among five Hindu “Pakistani nationals” who formally became citizens of India on Friday.
Aged between 73 and 26 years old, the five ladies, all Sindhis, hail from distinct elements of the nation. They had moved to India from Sindh numerous years ago. The five women had been granted the certificates of Indian citizenship by the nation’s Additional Chief Secretary (Housing) Sanjay Kumar in Mumbai.
While Prayana Mulchandani (28) hailed from Kolhapur, Ritabai Sindhi (32), Shantinandlal Keswani (seventy-three), Ranibai Vaswani (26), and Anita Keswani (forty-six) are from Amravati. Ranibai and Anita, who carried out for citizenship in 2013, are sister-in-laws.
Priyanka came to India in 2010 and was carried out for citizenship in 2017. Ritabai, meanwhile, had arrived in India eight years ago and carried out for citizenship ultimate year. Shantinandlal, however, arrived here 21 years ago and applied for citizenship in 2003-04. For the girls, citizenship came as a remedy.
Anita stated she had come to India as her husband became interested in shifting to India. “My husband had a shop in Pakistan and had come to India on a journey and stayed at his brother’s house in Amravati. He thought we’d have a higher existence in India, and subsequently, we determined to move here in 1991,” she said.
“We most effectively had Aadhaar cards, which we were furnished on the premise of house permit. We are excited to use it for an Indian passport,” said Anita.
Prayana, who resided in the Khairapur place of Sindh in Pakistan, had an organized marriage to an Indian in 2010 at Kolhapur. Dilip Mulchandani’s father-in-law came to Mantralaya to acquire the citizenship certificates and said, “The most important factor is that she can get her passport.”
The five ladies had come to India on vacationer visas for three months, following which they were granted long-term access. Seven years later, they have become eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.