Bihar man nursed back to health, reunited with family on Chhath

Kolkata: A man who had been born after prolonged prayers and prostrations before Chhathi Maiya and had gone missing for several years, was reunited with his family on the day of Chhath Puja. The Bihar resident — Manoj Paswan — was handed over to his relatives by the members of the Missionaries of Charity Nabajiban Mother Teresa Home in Howrah.

Paswan’s life is almost like a work of fiction. He allegedly faced near-death situations on a number of occasions. “While in his mother’s womb, his life was in danger and the doctors were worried. His mother decided to perform Chhath Puja despite warnings from the doctors. After the puja, she went into labour,” said Ambarish Nag Biswas of West Bengal Radio Club. The club was instrumental in tracing Paswan’s relatives to Rajouli village in Banka district of Bihar.

As Paswan grew up, he started showing symptoms of an unbalanced mind. A few years ago, he went missing. Two years ago, he was spotted by the sisters at the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. “He was lying on the pavement in a senseless state. He was on the verge of dying when we rescued him,” recounted brother Sajan Joseph of the Nabajiban Home.

Over the next few months, Paswan underwent treatment, including psychological therapy.

“Gradually we began to see signs of recovery in him. We decided to get him engaged in feeding other patients. Later, he started assisting in the kitchen. A few months ago, we felt that he had recovered a lot and could now stay with his family,” Joseph said.

Joseph contacted the Radio Club and sought their help. The members of the club shared Paswan’s photograph over a network and his family was found. Paswan’s family members, who had lost hope of getting him back, broke into tears when they received the call.

On Chhath day, they arrived in Kolkata and a healthy Paswan welcomed them with a smile at the Howrah Home.