Just a Step Away from Being Away Forever
Pintu was 21 years old when he was implicated in a crime done by one of his friends in Guna, Madhya Pradesh. Little did he know that his act of loyalty to his friend would bring him 25 years of separation from his family. To begin with, his desperate pleas for acquittal were rejected, and to add insult to injury, he got stigmatizing labels. This profoundly affected him psychologically. With no way to return to his life that he lived earlier, he absconded. The search for him spanned many years and in the course of time, his true story spread across the locality and those who stigmatized him began sympathizing with him. However, he was nowhere to be found. No one knew where he could have gone.
24 years later, Keystone’s family reunification team met him at the State Mental Health Institute, Selaqui and had multiple interactions with him spanning over the course of a few months. He was hesitant to open up in the beginning, but with concerted efforts, rapport was built and he felt safe and comfortable to share details of the place where he belonged. As the family was located, another shock awaited them. His mother was the only surviving member of his immediate family. However, it was the moment the elderly woman had been waiting for her entire life – to hear the news that her son is still alive. Obtaining legal documents for his reunification posed to be a major hurdle and it took 8 months from the time his family was traced, to obtaining the releasing order from the court.
Pintu now takes care of the shop that was opened by his mother for her survival. Distant relatives and extended family throng the house to hear his story of the last 25 years. His nephew is a huge support to him. The mother and son stay together with the extended family members and distant relatives thronging to have an interaction with him and satiate their curiosity about how he spent nearly a quarter century away from his native place.