Vietnam War veteran seeks asylum

Jeff Knaebel,also known as Sojourner Free to friends,decided informally to renounce his US citizenship....

Jeff Knaebel,also known as Sojourner Free to friends,decided informally to renounce his US citizenship. On June 19,2009,he shredded his US passport and birth certificate before Mahatma Gandhis monument at Rajghat.

The 72-year-old Vietnam War veteran and self-professed disciple of the Mahatma was on Friday present in the Supreme Court to seek asylum in India so that he can continue his mission to bring a smile to every face I can.

A Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and H L Dattu took note of the plea by Knaebel,who presented his own case,and asked Attorney General GE Vahanvati to verify his case.

I shall ascertain the pleas made by him, Vahanvati assured the court,which posted the case for July 12,2010. I am a Vietnam War veteran. I am fed up of the violence. I have seen more than my share of it, Knaebel told The Indian Express. I was born in the US,an anecdote of materialistic progress and power. We do not choose our birth, said Knaebel. He said he served as US Navy Commander in the Vietnam War.

To shrug off the onus of being an involuntary contributory to a system promoting war and inequality,I have abandoned paying tax to the US, he said. Describing his journey from being a US citizen to his current position of having no statehood,he said,his act at the Rajghat was inspired by the Mahatmas life. Being inspired by Gandhijis action of publicly burning the government registration documents in South Africa,I have renounced my American citizenship.

But Knaebel is mindful of the risks he runs of staying here without papers. I run a risk of deportation and constant risk of arrest, he said.