Kolkata, Nov 27 A woman from Madhya Pradesh, presumed missing at the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal nearly 20 years ago, has been traced to Bangladesh. Efforts are now underway to bring her back to India and reunite her with her family.
This miracle was made possible by amateur radio operators of the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC), who are constantly engaged in reuniting missing people with their families by using their wide network.
"Our contacts in Bangladesh informed us about this woman named Radhika, aged around 70, who was found begging on the streets. When asked about the name of her husband, she remained quiet. The only word she uttered was ‘Sagar’. The first thing that we did was check if anybody of that description had gone missing from Sagar Island in the southernmost tip of West Bengal. We extended our search after confirming that she is not from the island," said Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary, WBRC.
The HAMs then started checking places in India named Sagar. That is when they got information about a woman from Khajra village in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, who went missing during her pilgrimage to Gangasagar.
"The woman had travelled to Gangasagar with a team of pilgrims. She got lost somehow and joined another group of pilgrims from Bangladesh. In those days, pilgrims from Bangladesh would clandestinely travel to Sagar Island by trawlers. Radhika seemed to have got into one of those trawlers and reached Bangladesh. Unable to fend for herself, she took to begging," Nag Biswas said.
Radhika had a husband and three sons when she got lost. Her husband, Baliram, and one son, Puran, have since died. Her other sons, Rajesh and Ganesh, now work and live in Delhi.
"When we received Radhika's latest photographs, there was no match with how she looked earlier. She had not only aged, but her face and body were full of dust and grime, having spent decades on the streets. We got her sent to a parlour, where they cleaned Radhika up and she got new clothes. Her son Rajesh recognised her immediately when we sent him the photographs after her visit to the parlour," Nag Biswas said.
Both Rajesh, his brother and villagers in Madhya Pradesh are amazed at this miracle and are awaiting her return.
"My mother had gone on a pilgrimage, but her return will be no short of a pilgrimage for me. I will be seeing God in her," Rajesh said.
The WBRC has informed officials of the Gangasagar Mela and they have assured all help. The Bangladesh High Commission has also been informed. So has the Ministry of External Affairs, which has assured all assistance.
It may not be long before Radhika gets back to her family.
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