E-Paper
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: ‘Day of celebration for us’: Karachi-born Kashi sisters vote for first time
Nida, 28, and her sister Maherukh, 24, got Indian citizenship after much effort on March 23 this year. As a result, the sisters exercised their franchise for the first time here on Sunday during the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Casting vote for the first time is a special experience for youngsters. However, the feeling was extra special for two Kashi sisters who were born in Karachi to a Pakistani mother (who got Indian citizenship in 2007) and an Indian father.
Nida, 28, and her sister Maherukh, 24, got Indian citizenship after much effort on March 23 this year. As a result, the sisters exercised their franchise for the first time here on Sunday during the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections.
“I am an Indian and a pure Banarsi. Today is the great day of our life because for the first time we got an opportunity to cast our vote. Year 2019 has proved to be a great year for us because we got Indian citizenship and soon after our names were included in the voter’s list,” Nida, who is pursuing B Ed from a college in Mau, said.
“Today is the day of celebration for us,” said Maherukh, who is pursuing M.Com from Banaras Hindu University. Their parents were equally happy. Nida and Mahrukh’s parents Naseem Akhtar of Varanasi and Shahin Bano of Karachi got married in 1989. Nida and Mahrukh were born in Karachi in 1991 and 1995 respectively. Later, Bano came to Kashi.
Akhtar said after his marriage, he applied for the Indian citizenship of his wife. After many years of struggle, Shahin was granted the Indian citizenship in 2007. After that he applied for the citizenship of his two daughters, who were living in Varanasi on long term visa, in 2007.
He made all efforts for getting citizenship for them but his efforts did not yield desired results. After Narendra Modi won the Lok Sabha polls from here in 2014, his local public relations office, also called mini PMO, was opened in the city. “My daughters went to the mini PMO and met officials there. They assured them of all possible help,” Akhtar added.
Sharing her experience of not able to vote in last general election in 2014 despite being an adult, Nida said, “My cousin and other family members exercised their franchise but I couldn’t and that made me feel extremely bad.”
“Earlier, whenever I had to write Pakistani in the column of my nationality, I felt very bad because I am a Banarsi and Varanasi is my home,” she said.
Also Read | Lok Sabha elections 2019: Modi seeks re-election as BJP eyes record margin in Varanasi
