Maya Sharma
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 (Bangalore)
Love marriage for a Muslim girl from Bahrain to a Hindu from Bangalore cost her her passport and she now fears being deported.
Maryam from Bahrain came to India 20 years ago on a student visa. In Bangalore she married Yadavendra, became a Hindu and changed her name to Maya.
She needed a new visa to allow her to stay in the same country as her husband. The consulate of Bahrain took back her passport, but it was never returned to her.
Maya also has the acknowledgement of surrendering her passport. She now has two sons and is worried that after he turns 18, she will be deported to Bahrain.
Maya said, ''I came here in 1988 - 89. When I went for renewal of passport, my passport was seized by the Bahraini government. They told me clearly in Arabic that, why have you got married to an Indian boy and that too a Hindu. My husband would not understand as they spoke in Arabic. They said did you not find anyone in Bahrain. My younger son now is 12. I expect anytime anyone will come and tell you have to leave this country because your children have crossed 18.''
Yadavendra, said, ''I want my wife to get her permit renewed, her citizenship and passport. She should have got her citizenship a long time back but we are struggling to get the papers moving in Vidhana Soudha and Delhi, but we are made to run from pillar to post.''
Indian authorities had made it clear she would get a resident permit only after she produced her original valid passport, which of course she has not had for the last 20 years.
Source - http://www.ndtv.com