Kolkata/Bhubaneswar: An elderly woman from Odisha, who had disappeared before Rath Yatra over ten years ago, is set to return home in Ganjam after spending a decade at an old-age home in West Bengal.
The woman, identified as Bela Behera, will soon be united with her family members after the old-age home in Murshidabad district of West Bengal where she has been staying traced them with the help of an organisation.
Now in her late 70s, Bela had left home to get flowers before the Rath Yatra more than 10 years ago, but did not return. All efforts to trace her failed, according to her family. Bela had brought her three sons up by selling flowers. Even after her sons became established and she started living with the youngest and her grandchildren, she did not give up her trade altogether. That was the reason behind her leaving home on that fateful day.
It is not known as to how the woman reached Murshidabad district of West Bengal. She was rescued from the street there by the police and produced before a court that ordered her to be sent to the old age home.
While she was accommodated at the government-run Tokia Citizen Home for the elderly, police made all efforts to trace her family, but failed. She did not know any other language except Odia. She was also unable to provide any address, Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC), was quoted by IANS as saying.
WBRC is an organisation of Amateur Radio Operators that has reunited hundreds of such people with their families till now.
Recently, a court once again ordered authorities to trace her family, but they were unable to do so. Finally, Arpita Lahiri, superintendent of the old age home, got in touch with the WBRC and provided all details.
“Finally, our friends in the Ganjam district succeeded in tracing her family. We connected her to her son Keshav through a video call, and both of them broke down in tears. The son said that Bela would take her to the Rath Yatra in Puri every year. However, after she went missing, Keshav’s family stopped visiting Puri during the festival. They would only pray to Lord Jagannath for the safe return of their mother,” Nag Biswas said.
Keshav has already proceeded to Murshidabad to take his mother, who is keen to visit Puri this year. “With Lord Jagannath’s blessings, we just pray that her wish comes true after so many years,” the WBRC secretary said.
