India, July 6 -- Whoever thought of coming out with the statement that the Indian passport is only a mere document for travel and is not proof of Indian citizenship is a great genius! It has led the whole nation to discuss the criteria for acquiring Indian citizenship. It has also compelled me, a veteran journalist aged 78, to wonder whether I am an Indian citizen, even though, using the Indian passport, which boldly declares that I am a Citizen of India, I have travelled to many countries.

I first acquired a passport in 1979. At that time, I was working for The Indian Express in Delhi as a reporter. I was assigned to embark on an Indian Naval cruise on the training ship INS Brahmaputra, bound for Thailand and Indonesia. I approached th...