A 94-year-old woman from India’s Andhra Pradesh has drawn widespread attention after renouncing her U.S. citizenship and appealing to authorities to restore her Indian citizenship, saying she wants to spend the rest of her life in the country where she was born.
Kondragunta Mahalakshmamma, a native of Chinthagumpala village in Chinaganjam mandal of Bapatla district, recently met district officials with an emotional request to fast-track her citizenship application. A video of her interaction has since gone viral on social media. The social media post on X stated: “’I WANT TO DIE AS AN INDIAN’: 94-YEAR-OLD GIVES UP US CITIZENSHIP”
Accompanied by her son, Buchaiah Choudhary, Mahalakshmamma met Bapatla District Collector J. Venkata Murali on Wednesday and urged authorities to expedite the process of restoring her Indian citizenship.
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After the death of her husband, Nagabhushanam, Mahalakshmamma moved to Petersburg, Virginia, to live with her son, an oncologist. She became a U.S. citizen in July 2000 and spent nearly 18 years in the United States before returning to India in 2018.
When her son later joined NRI Hospital in Mangalagiri, she chose to settle permanently in her native village. Since returning, she has repeatedly expressed her desire to reclaim Indian citizenship and live out her remaining years in her homeland.
The 94-year-old woman informed officials that she has already renounced her U.S. citizenship and submitted an application for Indian citizenship through the government’s online portal. She said her final wish is to be laid to rest in her native village.
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“Collector garu, I am nearing 95 years of age. My only wish is to spend my final days in my motherland as an Indian citizen. I want my last rites to be performed in my native village. I have already given up my US citizenship. Please help me obtain Indian citizenship at the earliest,” she urged.
She also assured authorities that she would uphold the Constitution of India and comply with all applicable laws if her citizenship is restored. She said she wants the legal recognition to spend the remainder of her life as an Indian citizen.
The district collector told her that the application would be processed under the prescribed procedure. After the required inquiry is completed, officials will submit a report to the Andhra Pradesh government, which will forward its recommendation to the central government for a decision on her citizenship application.