Sri Lankan Tamil casts inaugural vote as Indian citizen. She was born in a refugee camp

Nalini Kirubakaran said she had memorized the names of every candidate in her constituency. (Representational)

A battle for citizenship of India finally came to fruition for Nalini Kirubakaran as she voted today for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections, 38 years after she was born in the country.

A resident of the rehabilitation camp for Sri Lankan Tamils at Kottapattu in Tiruchirappalli, Nalini has been dreaming about becoming an Indian citizen for decades.

"I am going to vote for the first time in the general election and assert that I am an Indian. I was dreaming of this opportunity for decades; now I feel I belong here," she told reporters, her words resonating with the long-fought battle for recognition and inclusion.

Born in 1986 at the refugee centre in Rameswaram Mandapam camp, Nalini Kirubakaran's journey from statelessness to enfranchisement underscores the enduring struggle for identity and belonging faced by countless others like her. Her path to the ballot box began in 2021 when her application for an Indian passport was initially rebuffed by a regional passport office, compelling her to seek recourse through legal channels.

A person born in India between 26 January 1950 and 1 July 1987 is a “citizen by birth” under Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1995. Bureaucratic barriers and legal struggles for a couple of years continued until August 12, 2022, when the Madras High Court ruled in favour of her. Nalini finally obtained her Indian passport and earlier this year, received her voter card.

She continues to reside in the rehabilitation camp, granted special dispensation by the district collector to remain with her family, who themselves remain stateless. She now has to fight for the citizenship of her two children who were also born in India.

Nalini's aspirations extend beyond herself, as she advocates for the rights of all refugees in similar circumstances. "It’s a dream come true for me. I will vote for the party which assures Indian citizenship to Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian origin Tamils living in camps across the state for several decades," she declared.

Thousands of refugees are still residing in similar camps across Tamil Nadu who still remain stateless. Nalini’s lawyer has also pledged to help others fighting a similar uphill battle.

39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu are voting today in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024.