It was like reincarnation of 46-year-old Ram Kumar when someone of his blood relation embraced him and took him to his native village after 21 years of disappearance.
Ram Kumar was one among 19 Indian nationals who were repatriated by Pakistan on August 14, 2007, after completion of their jail terms. Since most of them were mentally-challenged and didn't remember their addresses, they were admitted in Amritsar's Institute of Mental Health for treatment. It was believed that Ram Kumar and others was subjected to physical and mental torture by Pakistan police as well as jail authorities.
I am lucky to be back with my family and want to forget my past" said Ram Kumar before leaving for his village Chodakpura in Hardoi district of Uttar Pardesh. He said he had spent only one year in Pakistan but didn't exactly remember as to how he had reached there.
His handicapped nephew Satish who along with couple of his friends has arrived at Amritsar to receive his uncle said that his father Shiv Kumar, brother of Ram Kumar, used to tell him about his uncle and inspired him to trace him after his disappearance. "We found him in almost all the cities of UP including Lucknow, Farookabadh, Kanpur etc. but all in vain" said he.
When a week before family of Ram Kumar received a letter from police department they were surprised to know that Ram Kumar alive and was in Amritsar. But they were not ready to believe that he was sentenced in Pakistan.
"My father told me that Ram Kumar was in company of some Sadhu's and used to take Charas and had disappeared in those days only, I was just two years old then" said Satish.
"With treatment he is now healthy and remember his past but we had tough time finding his family in India " said Director , Institute of Mental Health, Dr. BL Goyal. He said when Ram Kumar gained some memory he gave hints of his address following which they wrote to Resident Commissioner of Uttar Pardesh in Delhi to trace Ram Kumar's relatives and finally his nephew had arrived to take him back.
But there are still 13 more persons who were repatriated along with Ram Kumar by Pakistan and their relatives are untraceable as yet.
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