BALANGIR: A woman who fled Pakistan fearing conversion and settled in Balangir 30 years back, is hopeful of finally getting Indian citizenship with the passing of Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Sharada Sidhwani, a Sindhi who holds a Pakistan passport, resides here with her husband Mahesh Kumar Kukreja and two children.
Although she had applied for Indian citizenship several times in the past, Sharada has not been able to get it so far.
The Sidhwani family’s ordeal in Pakistan began three decades back when local Muslims forced non-Muslim girls to convert and adopt Islam and marry members of the community. Her father was abducted when he refused but was rescued.
“After this incident, we decided to flee to India leaving our house behind. And after coming to this country, we moved to Koraput. My siblings are married in different parts of the country and I got married to Mahesh, also a Sindhi, here in 1990,” Sharada recalls. She was 18 then.
Prior to their marriage though, Mahesh’s family was not aware of Sharada’s Pakistani roots. “They came to know of my Pakistani connection late but it was never an issue. Since then, I have applied for Indian citizenship multiple times, but my application was not approved,” she says.
With the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Kukreja family is hopeful that Sharada will now become an Indian citizen officially.