Life & Style

Finally found my home: Adnan Sami

Singer says he's waiting for the day when Indian government would grant him citizenship

Entertainment Desk August 08, 2015

singer says he 039 s waiting for the day when indian government would grant him citizenship

Singer says he's waiting for the day when Indian government would grant him citizenship.

Pakistani singer Adnan Sami had submitted an application to the Indian home ministry on May 26, 2015 requesting an exemption from deportation on humanitarian grounds. The singer was granted permission to stay in the country for an indefinite period following his appeal to authorities.

Read: Adnan Sami applies again for Indian citizenship

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the 46-year-old singer is under the impression that Pakistanis are not very happy about his stay in India and they are burning his effigies.

“I have heard that people in Pakistan are not very happy with this news and are burning my effigies. But I’m happy that I have finally found my home,” said Adnan Sami.

The Lahore-born artist had first arrived in India on March 13, 2001 on a visitor’s visa with the validity of one year which was issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

During his stay in India, the singer received several visa extensions but ran into a roadblock when Pakistan refused to renew his passport. This forced him to approach the government in New Delhi with the request to legalise his stay in the country.

Read: At last: Singer Adnan Sami allowed indefinite stay in India

“I’m very thankful to the Indian government for considering my plea. But I’m waiting for the day the government grants me citizenship of this country. Right now I’m from no man’s land because my Pakistani citizenship has been renounced now,” said Sami, who is unbothered the reactions from his native country.

“The love, adulation and warmth that I got from India is the reason why I chose this country. People all over the world know me as an Indian artist. I could have chosen any other country and wouldn’t have had to go through problems claiming my citizenship. But it is India where my heart is and has always been,” he said.

COMMENTS (69)

MJ | 8 years ago | Reply @Tony Singh. So you are saying that the Bollywood film industry is semi talented? They rule Pakistan because of their big budgets, good direction & acting and in the past lack of any competition from Pakistani film industry.

Tony Singh | 8 years ago | Reply @MJ: "what I am trying to say that Indians have an inferiority complex, just like Arabs have for white Westerners, when a semi talented person can become a superstar if they were originally from Pakistan." Foolish comment to say the least especially when bollywood rules Pakistan.

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Kushal | 8 years ago | Reply And then there are people who raise Pakistani flags in Indian territory...

Vish | 8 years ago | Reply @Disgusted: Most learnt Pakistanis knows how unfortunate the partition was, is, will be.......

Imran tahir | 8 years ago | Reply Mr Adnan! Actually we (Pakistanis) are neither happy nor unhappy with this. We actually don't care, what you do and who do you select as your country or whatnot. It's really so immature and non professional to try gain popularity or a place in social media by giving such statements! Really, we don't care. So don't worry

indian | 8 years ago | Reply well any sane person will go to a land full of opportunities where true democracy prevails.

MJ | 8 years ago | Reply Good for him. He would have not become that big in Pakistan as he has become in India. Not because that his talent wouldn't have been appreciated in Pakistan, but because he would have fierce competition here. Just like in Dubai, people from all over the world, especially UK etc. who could've never made it big in whatever they did back home, find success .... India has become a haven for little to semi talented performers from Pakistan to become successful. I am not implying that Rahat Fateh ali, Abida Parveen etc. are not talented and would not have been successful in Pakistan alone, what I am trying to say that Indians have an inferiority complex, just like Arabs have for white Westerners, when a semi talented person can become a superstar if they were originally from Pakistan.

rk | 8 years ago | Reply To all my pak friends, in India nobody can point out the difference between a Muslim and a HIndu if they are similarly dressed.So drop this disappointment and just visit once and see for yourself the Truth.Like Sami you are all welcome .

Rashid | 8 years ago | Reply Well thank you India, we are indeed happy you harbour a country less person. Now make use he don't ran away from there to find his heart else where. Regarding the effigy burning issue, Mr Adnan, you are not that important to give a thought here.

Ali Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Cm'on people, its not a big deal. He hasn't chosen India for lack of love in Pak but rather the excess of it in India. Let him live where he wants to, we have more important issues to think and do something about. Chill

Dubya | 8 years ago | Reply @Syed Shere: U must remember even you are born to a Hindu convert... go check ur DNA... just for fun sake ...

hammad | 8 years ago | Reply Actually he do not want to come back and giving lame excuses. It is very easy for everybody nowadays to blame Pakistan, Pakistanis. P.S; we are not desperate to have a person who do not respect us even when his base of success is his roots here.

shahid | 8 years ago | Reply @Prashant: Absolutely, you are right.. there is something called Choice.. and this guy made it.. So, why this Hu Ha. If he does want to be a Hindu--stani so be it.. why not... Let it be so.. Hindus-tan is a thriving country and good people also live in it.. It should not be a thorn in the sore eyes of Pakistan.. Also, this guy was never a Pakistani, never has passport or citizenship, just because of his parents he by default was considered, repeat considered, a Pakistani.. though he never was, not born in Pakistan and most of his life not lived in Pakistan, just visited. So, happy life to you Adnan in Hindus-tan..;

Brar | 8 years ago | Reply @Anon: Many Muslims from Pakistan and Sikhs from India apply for asylum in UK,Canada,Germany and other countries stating their life is in danger in the countries of their birth and we al lknow that they are telling lies to settle in those countries and as and when they get PR they visit their country, if he says some thing bad about Pakistan it is not going to lower the image of the country.

Brar | 8 years ago | Reply @Ahmed: Many Muslims from Pakistan and other countries and Sikhs from India got asylum in US,Canada,UK, Germany stating their lives are not safe in the country where they were born and raised and their only aim is to settle their and similar is the case here and I personly know many of them visiting their countries once they got permanent residence every one knows they lied.

sridhar | 8 years ago | Reply @kdp: I am coming back to India after living in US for 22 years. I am a US citizen, so I would be coming to India as an NRI with a OCI card! I see a lot of possibilities in the new emerging India. Many many Non Resident Indians have come back or are coming back. These include IT professionals, doctors, engineers etc.

sridhar | 8 years ago | Reply @SK: I think you are a sick man badly in need of help. Consider what you said: (The best thing you would have done is you shou have converted your self to Hinduism and then claimed you could be killed if sent back to Pakistan. That way Indians would have granted you nationality forthwith and you would have saved your self so much misery...) In other words, you agree that merely being a Hindu in Pakistan would endanger somebody's life. Then You Pakistanis wonder why Hindu minorities are emigrating in large numbers. In India, Adnan Sami does not have to be a Hindu to get nationality. Due process is followed. His case would be an exception if indeed he gets Citizenship.

TooTrue | 8 years ago | Reply Who is this man and why are you burning him in effigy?

Alex | 8 years ago | Reply @Sarfaraz Abbasi: Best comment sir we all feel the same way about the Kingdom of Punjabistan

kdp | 8 years ago | Reply Thousands n thousands of South Asians have become citizens of US and several European countries. Almost none of them would prefer to come back to their South Asian Home country. If Adnan had become US citizen no Pakistani would have cared so why India is different? Enemy?

Chaudry Farooqi | 8 years ago | Reply Good for u.

Fakhrunisa | 8 years ago | Reply Someone share the link for HONY Facebook with Adnan and my dear Indian brethren Just thought of his wife and son who still are Pakistani and are very well respected This fatso didn't care about his family divorced wife and now this. Tells you a lot about his character. His family here must be disappointed yet again because of his actions..bigtime opportunist he is.

GS@Y | 8 years ago | Reply Good for him. When was the last time he even turned out anything good? Yeah, not since leaving Pakistan.

observer | 8 years ago | Reply Hmmm...Pakistanis never tire of being champions of Indian Muslims and constantly repeating how the Indian Muslims are suffering in India. Why is then that there are no cases of Indian Muslims begging for Pakistani citizenship and refuge? As the Sami case proves, it is the Pakistani Muslims who are beating down the door to settle in India. What am I missing here?

usman777 | 8 years ago | Reply Criticizing Pakistan is a sure-fire way to Indian citizenship. India may very well reward him with a citizenship... His citizenship is based not on loyalty but the riches available to musicians. One thing I appreciate about Indians is that they don't speak poorly of India for financial gain. To avenge Mr. Sami's greediness, I shall say this to Indians, please deny this man citizenship because much of his money will go to relatives in Pakistan... (which you hate). @nirmal, fair enough. do you respect the aryans of central asia or do you infact deny the aryan invasion? Will you return to pre-vedic, pre-aryan rituals ?

Ut Patang | 8 years ago | Reply @Nirmal: Your love with the past is matchless. However try to live in the present. No one remembers how it was before Mohammad bin Qasim and those who remember are all gone, dead. Move on.

jb | 8 years ago | Reply @nirmal: You're saying the ancient Dravidian descendents dont face racism, downbeating and near tota annihilation of their cultural and political contributions to India with a focus on the marauding jnvaders called the Aryans? "As you sow so shall you reap"...right back at ya buddy!

jb | 8 years ago | Reply Couldnt care less. Btw, where was this effigy burning the guy seems to want to prokote so much? Rahi baat about our indian friends, you're occupying a whole state with a standing army for decades and have given blanket exemption to the army from prosecution in said state, North East insurgencies are an ever increasing reality, South faces racist undertones from the North, Khalistan appears to be murmuing again, rape is an endemic issue, couples are married forcefully to each other (sometimes to animals) on valentines day by RSS type cadres, a man accused of enabling genocide is PM by an electoral landslide, Abhinav India has bombed all across yet ministers in Lok Sabha blame opposition for daring to coin the phtase "hindu terror"....and India is the land of sanctuary from evil Pakistan?

Seadorff | 8 years ago | Reply @SK: YOU ARE SICK !!!!!!!

Nirmal | 8 years ago | Reply Dear Pakistani friends, while I appreciate your concern that Adnan must be respectful to his roots, let me ask u a simple question. Do u give much respect to ur roots prior to invasion of Qasim? The rich heritage of Indic culture of W. Punjab & KPK? Ans. is a Big No. U r obsessed with people who caused mass slaughter (Hindu Kush means killer of Hindus, where millions of Hindu slaves perished when compromising the difficult terrain in scanty dress/food with huge torture), arson, destruction and so on..Basically it was people from ur land who were taken as slaves (both Punjabis & Pathans)..study any good history book and u can easily infer the facts..As u sow, so u reap…

Despicable | 8 years ago | Reply Good riddance bad rubbish.

Dniwasi | 8 years ago | Reply @S O: "There will be no one around when the music runs out"...go and ask all Bollywood retirees, making friends is easy and if friendships are nurtured, they stay for lifetime. New friends can be made anywhere.

S | 8 years ago | Reply The guy is sadly misinformed. Noone in Pakistan cares about him enough to burn his effigies. He can continue living in India. We are not bothered.

Manish Rastogi | 8 years ago | Reply Mr Adnan ! While we welcome & fully support you for your decision to stay in India but you must be respectful to Pakistan your birth place. No matter what situation of present Pakistan is but it is still important for you.

hari | 8 years ago | Reply Thank you for enriching us with your art.

Vicky | 8 years ago | Reply This is exceptional case, coz sami pays taxes in India,,,,, but reality is India gives easy visas to other countries citizens ,but not to Pakistani citizens …. India doesn’t encourage even American pak citizens to travel to India and they also don’t allow pak players in IPL

Asif Kamal | 8 years ago | Reply Sad….but this is the reality of being Pakistani in other countries … Pakistani passport is blacklisted in many countries…many Pakistanis portrays themselves Indian in USA ,Europe ….it’s a reality we need to accept …look how we have damaged the reputation of this beautiful nation Pakistan :(

Puppet | 8 years ago | Reply There is a limit to buttering Adnan Sami. As to India, the fellow who is so ungrateful to his 'janam bhumi' can never belong to anybody. Give him the citizenship keeping that in mind.

Afghan | 8 years ago | Reply He was never a pakistani, this great man was born to a father from Herat of Afghanistan and he knew that he never belonged to Pakistan hence he chose his second home India after Afghanistan.

Anon | 8 years ago | Reply @Prashant: I can't speak for the others here but at least, in my opinion, the sentiment here is not anger nor is there any problem in his moving to India or any other country, for that matter. Like others have said, he can make a home anywhere he feels like and especially so if there's a valid reason for it like, as you've stated, a threat to his life. It could be that I'm not informed enough but I can't see any such dire reason here for leaving his home country. And on top of that, making statements that people back home are "burning my effigies" when many people here have not come across such a thing simply echoes disrespect for your native country. So, yeah, the sentiment here is disappointment, not anger. However, we wish him a happy stay. We hope you will take good care of him.

Javed Azim | 8 years ago | Reply This is excellent news. Will the Indian government immediately give him citizenship please? Also kindly ensure you supply him with unlimited boxes of twinkies and crack as he requires both to function. And finally, once he moves on please cremate him or bury him in your own soil as he does not belong in Pakistan and we do not want him here either.

qib | 8 years ago | Reply Citizenship is largely an accident of birth, so no harm in seeking citizenship in whichever country one feels at home. It's not an act of betrayal. But please, this effigy-burning stuff is patent nonsense. He isn't that relevant.

the truth | 8 years ago | Reply What a liar, he's so full of himself that he will fabricate stories to gain sympathy and please his Indian masters He's such a contrast from his Azaan who's a lot more mature

MMKhan | 8 years ago | Reply That's his perception only. In Pakistan people has no concern wherever he lives. He was born and raised in UK. That's just publicity stunt. Because bitterness in Indo-Pak relationship causes ordinary news to get more attention than any other news in both countries. While Pakistani has no concern with his country of living i'm sure Indian also has no concern regarding his stay too.

Rizwan Nasar | 8 years ago | Reply It is a free world... if he wants to be known as an Indian artist it is his progative. I have seen Indians claim the great Nusrat Fathe Ali Khan Saheb as their own. Kudus to Adnan. Stay happy and blessed.

Dr Priyanka | 8 years ago | Reply Please Adnan pay all taxes and in time. Property, wealth, municipal, that tax this tax etc etc.Bangladeshi immigrants who came during the 1971 war are a big drain on our financial resources.

ali | 8 years ago | Reply This is the funniest thing I ever read on news. Moreover, how many hits he has given in last decade?

Vectra | 8 years ago | Reply Surprised by the comments above.Why blame Mr Adnan Sami?? Why not ask pakistan govt what have it given to these people???Does Pakistani public for once putting hatred and ego aside tried to put their mind on why many of Pakistan citizen are abandoning and going against Pakistan and embracing India?? Yesterday I have said in my comment that Pakistan is in habit of disowning its own people whether good or bad and it includes Abdus Salam,Hussain Haqqani, Tarek Fatah,Altaf Hussain,Ajmal Kasab,the captured one Usmaan,Adnan Sami,AQ Khan etc.Many more are also waiting in line.Millions are not even formal citizen with NADRA having only 96 million citizens record on its database out of 180 million Pakistanis.Many of the sane intellectually are choosing India,UAE,Saudi,Europe,US,UK,Australia for their destination of getting their dream come true and standard of living improve.They have nthong to get from Pakistan but some of then like Tarek Fateh who openly says he is Indian 1st,similar sentiments wers shared by Mr Adnan Sami now.So time to think rather that show ego and hatred.

Ch. Allah Daad | 8 years ago | Reply Adnan is grown up man and understands what is good for him. Good luck to him. India is one of the best places for rich and famous.

Bairooni Haath | 8 years ago | Reply @Ammar Ahmed: Pakistan went down the path of meanness first by refusing to renew his passport. When you mistreat a person, why would he say anything good about you.

SK | 8 years ago | Reply It seems Mr Sami is under illusion that he is very popular in Pakistan. I personally haven't heard any body mentioning him. Trust me no body is burning your effigy. The best thing you would have done is you shou have converted your self to Hinduism and then claimed you could be killed if sent back to Pakistan. That way Indians would have granted you nationality forthwith and you would have saved your self so much misery. I suggest you to make your case even more convincing start attending some temples and worshipping those gods Hindus worship. Don't forget to wear that Brahman Dhothi and put the red markings on your forehead to convince the Indian public that you are now a faithful converted Hindu. You may even make some blasphemous comments again Islam to make your citizenship final. Wish you best luck. Be least assure no body here cares or know who Adnan Sami is.

S O | 8 years ago | Reply Adnan Sami: Best of luck to you in india and hope you sort out your visa arrangements. You are a great artist. But remember your roots and remember how your father had served his motherland. There will be a time when the money runs out and the people around you may not seem as friendly as they are now. There will be a time when you may not sing or produce music. Remember Pakistan will still welcome you. Sad to hear you have decided to get the pakistan bashing bandwagon for some publicity. Take care,

Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply He has every right to live where ever he wants to but at least he shouldn't be disrespectful to the people who made him what he is today by saying something which is totally untrue . Burning effigies ? Cmon now , I've never seen or heard of something like that .

Prashant | 8 years ago | Reply why so much Anger? he is moving to another country, thats it.. there are many Pakistanis in UK and USA who got citizenship of those countries by claiming they have threat to their life in pakistan... if that is okay then why not this? just because this time country is India?

Liberal | 8 years ago | Reply Well Mr Sami, no one has burned your effigies here but I can understand that you want to please your new countrymen. Indians, thank you for taking him away to your country.

Me | 8 years ago | Reply Shame on you!

BCCI | 8 years ago | Reply You're welcome. Artists and good human beings are always welcome. India is a progressive and inclusive society. You will not feel like a stranger here. Anyone from anywhere for that matter, if he/she has the ability to contribute to the Indian society and culture are welcome. Peace.

salman | 8 years ago | Reply He's a great artist. All the best for your future.

vivek yadav | 8 years ago | Reply He said it !

Acorn Guts | 8 years ago | Reply au contraire! We appreciate all the good you've done for Pakistan but are equally not bothered by you moving away either. I think the word here is 'Meh'

Ammar Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply Although everybody has every right to chose his/her priorities and most of the time priorities are set for business reasons - same case with Adnan Sami - but he should not become so business minded as to utter derogatory remarks about his home country or it's people. I hope he will be get axed of his property and net worth yet again in India as it happened a couple of years ago and he can continue to escape the overt abuses by Shiv Sina.

anil | 8 years ago | Reply u r most welcome our new citizen.

A pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply Wow... Talk about being ungrateful to the country that raised and nurtured you. And Mr. Sami, no one's burning your effigies over here. At least, I haven't seen this in the news and I regularly stay up to date. You've been either misinformed or lied to. But, in the end, it's your life. I hope you find happiness wherever you choose to make your home.

Zulfiqar Baig | 8 years ago | Reply Be happy staying in India. Pakistan do not need you.

Sarfaraz Abbasi | 8 years ago | Reply The people of Punjab have (especially from Lahore) have humiliated Pakistan more than what some usually refer to others from the South of Pakistan as 'Indian agents'. Almost (but not all) all the artists, singers, actors, actresses, sportsmen/women, journalists, TV-anchors, poets, from Punjab in general and Lahore in particular frequently visit, settle, earn, romance, marry, from/in India. Then, why did you partition 'India'? Why do you call others to be financed and backed by India; while these people openly flaunt their love for India?

Kasi | 8 years ago | Reply And it was Pakistan, where you were born raised got famous first time on children's PTV show playing piano, but you are claiming that your heart was always in India. Well Mr.Ghadar Sami we don't want you anymore stay there and find a grave for yourself too when you die or maybe you wouldn't need that hmmm, I think you get what I mean...

Syed Shere | 8 years ago | Reply Good luck Adnan Sami. Enjoy your self in India. You may, like Bobby Jindal, even change your religion and become a Hindu to please the masses there. But the RSS would never let you forget you were born of Muslim parents.

Disgusted | 8 years ago | Reply Adnan Sami learnt his music from Pakistan. Became famous there. If India was his home, why did he find out so late?

Arka | 8 years ago | Reply ok good ....live here...Atif and Ali Zafar also good boy but we shall never give citizenship to Fawad,Mahira and Imran abbas..go work in LOLlywood

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