Myagdi: After waiting for more than a decade, Samir Khan and Yasmin Begum of Beni Municipality–7 have finally obtained Nepali citizenship in their mother’s name.
The District Administration Office issued citizenship certificates to Samir and Yasmin on Tuesday in the name of their mother, Maniraja Begum. Samir had applied for citizenship 11 years ago and Yasmin eight years ago, completing all required procedures from the district administration to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Assistant Chief District Officer Kul Prasad Acharya said the citizenship certificates were granted following the second amendment to the Citizenship Act, 2063 BS, and the fourth amendment to its regulations, which enabled citizenship to be issued in a mother’s name.
Samir and Yasmin’s mother, Maniraja Begum, is a Nepali citizen, while their father, Salim Khan, is originally from Kolkata, India. Although the couple married 34 years ago, Maniraja has long been living in Beni, where she runs a small beauty and cosmetics business. Salim Khan has stated that he has renounced Indian citizenship and has even voted in Nepal’s elections held in 2052 BS and 2064 BS.
Both Samir and Yasmin have birth registration records from the former Arthunge VDC. Despite completing higher education, they were unable to pursue professions, run businesses, secure jobs, or go abroad for employment due to the lack of citizenship. Expressing their relief, they said they finally feel like full citizens of the country after receiving their citizenship certificates.
The provisions of the Citizenship Act, 2063 BS, came into effective implementation after the Nepal Citizenship (Fourth Amendment) Regulation, 2082 BS, was published in the Nepal Gazette. Earlier, on Poush 29, 22-year-old Seema Pun of Malika Rural Municipality–5, Devisthan, became the first person in the district to receive citizenship in her mother’s name.
