Seven years, five attempts, countless appeals: What it took for this orphan to get a passport

Vrishalmridul Mandal, a 29-year-old who grew up in a shelter home, refused to give up on the blue document that he hoped would be a ticket to a better life

- Ketaki Desai

What’s in a name? For Vishalmridul Mandal, a whole lot. His name represents his tumultuous life — Vishal is the name given to him by a social worker at a children’s shelter where he spent his early years and Mridul is the name he was born with. The amalgam of names is now on the passport that he struggled seven long years for. As an orphan, he grew up without any documents which became the primary hurdle in his quest. Moving from state to state, chasing bureaucrats and educating himself on his rights, Mandal has finally got his passport in hand. Or more accurately, under his pillow, where he carefully stores his most prized possession, a symbol of his hard-fought victory.

Mandal, who works as a full-time domestic worker for an American family in Delhi, says Canada, with its promise of employment, is first on his travel bucket list. “The family I work for is also very happy — they got me a cake when the passport came. They tell me that they’ll take me along when they travel.”