Obama’s signature gets Chennai woman a visa

CHENNAI: It’s a sheet of paper her family treasures — the letter Barack Obama wrote on behalf of Sujatha Adsumilli is not just a recommendation that helped her get a US visa, it’s proof of the President’s generous spirit.

When Sujatha wanted to visit the US four years ago for her son Vijaya Kumar’s housewarming ceremony, the US Consulate in Chennai denied her a visa as she was a widow and they considered her a ‘potential immigrant’.

‘‘ She had no intention to stay in the US. My brother just wanted her to be present for the function,’’ says Sujatha’s older son Ramesh Kumar, a Chennai-based intellectual property rights lawyer.

Vijaya Kumar, who migrated to the US over a decade ago, built a house in Chicago in 2004. Though his mother’s visa application was rejected, he resolved not to hold the ‘grahapravesam’ (house-warming ceremony) till his mother was there. He wrote a letter to his senator Barack Obama, explaining the problem and seeking his help.

On October 4, 2005, Barack Obama wrote a six-line letter to the state department, and sent copies to the US embassy and consulate in India. It read: ‘‘ My constituent, A Vijay Kumar, recently contacted my 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 #F0771408). I would ask that you please give this matter every consideration under department of state guidelines.’’

The consulate in Chennai completed the formalities in a jiffy and handed Sujatha a multiple-entry visa valid for 10 years. She attended her son’s grahapravesam function and stayed with his family for six months. ‘‘ Without Obama’s help she could not have visited Vijaya Kumar’s house,’’ says Ramesh.

During her stay, Sujatha visited Barack Obama’s office to thank him personally. Though she could not meet him, his staff welcomed her and assured her that her message of thanks would be conveyed to him. ‘‘Obama is a kind-hearted man,’’ says 60-year-old Sujatha. ‘‘I’m sure he will reach out to the needy across the globe,’’ she says with a smile.