Polish woman tweets child's letter to PM, seeks return to Goa

A Polish woman has tweeted a letter written by her 11-year-old daughter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking help to return to Goa.

Alicja Wanatko and her daughter of Marta Kotlarska were staying in Goa, where the latter attended school, before they were sent back to their country due to non-renewal of visa.

On March 24 this year, Alicja's mother, on her return to India from Sri Lanka, was turned away from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru when she went to renew her Indian visa.

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 Combodia.

"Please help us @narendramodi my daughter is very distressed and she is only 11 years old," the mother 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," the daughter said in the letter.

"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 has said.