'Want To Live My Last Days...': 94-Year-Old Woman Gives Up US Citizenship, Returns To Andhra Pradesh - VIDEO

Bapatla:In a perfect example of "home is where the heart is", a 94-year-old woman, Kondragunta Mahalakshmamma, originally from Andhra Pradesh's Chintagumpala village in Bapatla district, has renounced her US citizenship and officially regained Indian citizenship to spend the last days of her life in her motherland.

She moved to the US with her son after the death of her husband and later became an American citizen.

Wish to return home

The matter came up for hearing before Bapatla District Collector V Vinod Kumar at the PGRS Hall in the Collectorate on Tuesday.

She said that her only wish was to live her remaining days in India and have her last rites performed in her hometown.

She lived with her son, oncologist Dr K Buchaiah Choudhary, and acquired US citizenship in July 2000. After living abroad for nearly two decades, she returned to India in 2018 and settled back in her native village.

Citizenship restored

Since her return, she has voluntarily given up her US citizenship and applied online for the restoration of Indian citizenship.

A video of her reciting the oath of allegiance in Telugu, guided by an official, pledging true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India and committing to fulfil her duties as a citizen, has gone viral on social media.

Mahalakshmamma currently holds Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status as well as US citizenship.

"My only wish is to spend the final phase of my life in my motherland. After my death, I want my last rites to be performed in my native village," she said in her appeal to the Bapatla District Collector.

Following her request, the required legal procedures were completed, and Mahalakshmamma was granted Indian citizenship.