Obama a messiah for Chennai family

US President Barack Obama may have won a million votes in his country and more hearts around the world while running for Presidency, but for a Chennai family, he became a messiah five-years-ago when he intervened to help a woman get a US visa to attend her son’s house warming ceremony after American consulate turned down her application.

For Sujatha Adsumilli, Obama has a special place in her heart. She even prayed for the success of Illinois Senator after the Democrat was named for the Presidential race.

Sujatha wanted to fly to US in 2004 for the ceremony of her son A Vijay Kumar, but officials at the consulate denied her a visa as she was a widow and they considered her a “potential immigrant”, her elder son A Ramesh Kumar told. “Officials feared she could end up living there with my brother Vijay Kumar, who has US citizenship. Vijay Kumar wrote to then Illinois Senator Obama, telling him of the problem, who wrote to the State Department and the Consulate in Chennai asking them to consider the matter under Department of state guidelines,” the letter which he sent to Sujatha said.

This was enough to spur the officials into action to grant her a 10-year multiple entry visa to the US. Sujatha left for USA in 2005 for the “grahapravesam” and also tried to personally thank Obama, but in vain. She rues missing the opportunity to meet him “as he had just left his.” “But the staff at his office extended great hospitality and promised me that they would convey my greetings to him,” she said. The family now prizes the sheet of paper the US President sent, which allowed Sujatha to join her son. “ I cannot quantify or put in words the value we attach to the letter from Obama. In fact, we were so happy when he understood the request and responded to my brother’s letter at a mere representation,” Ramesh Kumar said.

Sujatha think Obama is a “very humble person” and said she was very excited when he became the President.

Excerpts of the letter from Obama read –“My constituent, A Vijaya Kumar, recently contacted by Chicago office regarding his desire to obtain a non-immigrant visa for his mother from the Consulate in Chennai, India. His mother’s name is Sujatha Adsumilli (passport no F0771408). I would ask you that you please give this matter every consideration under Department of state guidelines”

(The Free Press Journal, Mumbai, Monday, January, 2009)