Polish photographer Marta Kotlarska with her daughter Alicja Wanatko
Polish national Marta Kotlarska, whose 11-year-old daughter Alicja Wanatko had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for help in renewing visa, today tweeted the girl was slipping into depression as they could not return to Goa.
Alicja had written a letter to the prime minister and the external affairs minister pleading them to help in renewing her and her mother's visa for India.
"Alicja's drawing. Please help @narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @DrSJaishankar. she is swinging into depression. The overstay was not due to our fault. My employer defused (refused to) provide documents necessary to prelong (prolong) visa. I was trying to get NOC from MHA due to situation, no one replied (sic)," Marta said in a tweet.
She has also posted a picture of Lord Shiva with a trishul (trident) drawn by Alicja.
On March 24 this year, Marta was turned away from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru when she went to renew her Indian visa. She had landed from Sri Lanka.
Marta had to wait in Thailand before she could return to India to pick up her daughter from Goa and leave the country. Both are right now in Cambodia.
"Please help us @narendramodi my daughter is very distressed and she is only 11 years old," the mother had tweeted, attaching her child's hand written letter.
In a series of tweets, she said for her daughter "India is the place we call home". Alicja, in the handwritten letter, expressed love for Goa.
"I love my school in Goa, the beautiful nature and I am missing my volunteering in the animal rescue centre there where I was helping to take care of cows. My mum could not re-enter India on 24th March 2019 after a short trip out and we were told we were blacklisted due to our overstay," she had stated.
"I am now with my mum, but am missing my old life in my favourite country more than ever. I feel so alone away from everything I have always known in India. I know my animals will be so confused without me and I cannot sleep without feeling angry or upset, she had said.