Indian entrepreneur and researcher Mayukh Panja, who has lived in Germany for over nine years, has said he will not apply for German citizenship despite being fully eligible. In a detailed reflection shared on X, Panja explained that the decision stems from identity, belonging, and a deeper emotional connection to India that he has not been able to replicate in Germany.
Why Panja refuses German citizenship
Panja first moved to Germany as a doctoral researcher, later working in the country and eventually founding the AI firm Populations. His extended stay made him legally eligible for a German passport, a milestone many long-term residents pursue for stability, benefits, and ease of global mobility.
Yet Panja said the idea simply “does not feel right”.
“I have been here 9+ years and I became eligible for the German passport a year back. I could have applied for citizenship a year ago, but I did not,” he wrote, adding that he has deliberated for long but cannot take the step because “I don’t feel German.”
While acknowledging that citizenship is technically “only a document”, Panja said identity cannot be separated from emotional belonging. “At the end of the day I am Indian and it would feel odd to become German,” he explained.
‘A friend of Germany, but not German’
Panja emphasised that although he understands Germany’s history, culture, and language, he has never truly internalised them. He is comfortable in Berlin’s multicultural settings and technical communities, but finds that beyond those circles, he feels like an outsider.
His example of football allegiances captured this sentiment vividly: Germany winning or losing a match has little impact on him, but India winning the World Cup fills him with joy.
“I see myself as a friend of Germany but never truly one of Germany. It is a subtle but important distinction,” he wrote.
The question of values and entitlement
For Panja, citizenship goes beyond residency and rights. It is, in his view, a commitment to embracing a nation’s long-established values and cultural ethos. If he became German, he believes he would also be expected to align himself with those values — a responsibility he does not feel ready to adopt.
He noted that he would not want German society to adjust its cultural identity to accommodate his preferences either. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable becoming a new citizen and then expecting a culture built over centuries to adapt to my preferences,” he said.
In contrast, he feels a strong sense of entitlement and agency in India, even when his opinions diverge from the majority.
“In India, even if my opinions do not resonate with the overwhelming majority, I feel entitled to stand my ground and try to nudge things towards what I feel,” he wrote. “I am a part of India. My opinions are by definition Indian opinions.”
For Panja, retaining his Indian passport is not merely a bureaucratic decision but an assertion of identity, belonging, and democratic agency.
A growing conversation around identity abroad
While Panja’s views are personal, his post has resonated across social media, especially among long-term Indian residents overseas who often navigate complex questions of cultural identity and national belonging.
His reflections add to ongoing discussions on the emotional realities behind citizenship choices — conversations that go beyond legal status and venture into lived experience.