Origins
It's been a painful week and I do firmly believe that the statement, that will define a movement in my life has been made.
The last such statement was when on radio a long time ago, the host asked me how celebrating Diwali was different in Malaysia to the way it gets celebrated in India. And I didn't know the answer to it, because I'd simply never been home at that time, at least not for the preceding eight years. Considering I was 15 years of age then, I'd left the country when I was seven and I didn't remember the festival, because I'd never gotten more than a days leave at that time.
As a result of that conundrum, I moved back. A move that changed my life, and saw me flee the country again, when I turned eighteen for University. I was done with India, I wanted to go home.
That was then, and now a few short years below a decade later I face a similar question. With the damage of my passport recently, I was asked, in order to get a replacement, what documents I had with me to prove my citizenship of this country.
And I had a shock. I do not have a voters id, license, ration card, sslc certs. My passport was the sole identification document that linked me to this place. The same passport that saw me country hopping.
And yes, I have a flight to catch at the end of the month, to go visit home outside of home. But right now, after being told of the requirements to get a duplicate passport, I know I will not make it. :(
Unless one of you guys out there know a passport issue officer out there, who would be willing to issue a duplicate one for me, on temp basis, and allow me to travel to Malaysia. And should I be able to travel there, I should be able to get the consulate to issue me a duplicate in a day!
The last such statement was when on radio a long time ago, the host asked me how celebrating Diwali was different in Malaysia to the way it gets celebrated in India. And I didn't know the answer to it, because I'd simply never been home at that time, at least not for the preceding eight years. Considering I was 15 years of age then, I'd left the country when I was seven and I didn't remember the festival, because I'd never gotten more than a days leave at that time.
As a result of that conundrum, I moved back. A move that changed my life, and saw me flee the country again, when I turned eighteen for University. I was done with India, I wanted to go home.
That was then, and now a few short years below a decade later I face a similar question. With the damage of my passport recently, I was asked, in order to get a replacement, what documents I had with me to prove my citizenship of this country.
And I had a shock. I do not have a voters id, license, ration card, sslc certs. My passport was the sole identification document that linked me to this place. The same passport that saw me country hopping.
And yes, I have a flight to catch at the end of the month, to go visit home outside of home. But right now, after being told of the requirements to get a duplicate passport, I know I will not make it. :(
Unless one of you guys out there know a passport issue officer out there, who would be willing to issue a duplicate one for me, on temp basis, and allow me to travel to Malaysia. And should I be able to travel there, I should be able to get the consulate to issue me a duplicate in a day!
Comments
And yea, I will be back here later after my squash to read this post.
!Hope everything falls into place and you get to fly home! :)
btw, got you in FB. Now I know your real name, will keep it a secret :)
Suren: Haven't gotten in settled. I'm gonna give travelling on a damaged passport a try. And yes, I saw you, we don't have any mutual friends huh! Strange. We have to have a chat online :)