Destitute man from Bihar reunited with family after 14 years

CHENNAI: A

destitute

man from Bihar was rescued from the

streets

of Coimbatore and reunited with his

family

after 14 years with the help of NGO

Udavum Karangal

.


The man, identified as Shambu Soney, will celebrate Diwali with his family this year, said his younger brother Gowrishankar, who came to pick him up from the NGO on Saturday. Gowrishankar said, “It’s going to be a Diwali surprise for his family and villagers too. He disappeared from our village when his sons were aged 1 and 3. Now, they are eager to see their father about whom they have few memories.”

Gowrishankar and Shambu will first go to Chotta Baisana village, near Chekkya town in East Champaran district, to meet villagers before visiting his wife and children. Udavum Karangal founder-director S Vidyakar said, “Social media and NGO volunteers in Bihar helped trace Gowrishankar, who is working as a lorry loadman in Rasipuram in Tamil Nadu.”

Vidyakar said, “Shambu was admitted to Udavum Karangal in January 2011. He was rescued by volunteers of Udavum Karangal from the streets of Coimbatore. He was found to be violent and addicted to alcohol and tobacco. Shambu had difficulty in communicating as he only knew Hindi. He was given continuous psychiatric treatment and medication.”

Shambu, who is now 45, gradually recovered, said Vidyakar. “After seven years, Shambu spoke about his family recently and gave us pieces of information which helped identify his kin,” he added.


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