Tabloid

Celina Jaitly’s sons get no passport

Neha Sharma, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, July 19, 2012

First Published: 17:16 IST(19/7/2012)
Last Updated: 02:07 IST(20/7/2012)

Share more.

comments

Email

print

Model turned actor Celina Jaitley with hotelier husband Peter Haag.

Actor Celina Jaitly can’t believe the law. The 30-year-old, who is married to Austrian hotelier Peter Haag and recently gave birth to twins Winston and Viraaj in Dubai, can’t get an Indian passport for her sons. She, herself a citizen of India, says all pillar-to-post running has proved futile due

to loopholes in citizenship laws. Her hurt is evident from this letter that she shared with us...

“Being extremely patriotic, having been a 4th generation Army girl, a Miss India Universe and an Indian actor, it was extremely important to me and my husband that our twin sons get an Indian passport besides the Austrian passport.

I was under the impression that based on their mother’s nationality, they would automatically get an Indian passport too. However, I was in for a rude shock as we were told by consulate officials that they cannot have an Indian passport as only the father’s nationality applies, and dual citizenship is only possible with Canada and USA.

It was very disappointing to know this because I believe these laws should be reconsidered in special cases such as when one parent is an active tax paying Indian citizen. Children should automatically be allowed both nationalities until the age of 18. So for now, the boys are on a tourist visa to visit their own motherland.”

And, she says her dream may remain unfulfilled forever. “Because of this flaw in citizenship laws, I may never be able to see my sons in the service of our great nation in the Indian Army uniform.”