More than two years after bringing back the hearing and speech disabled Geeta from Pakistan , the Indian government is struggling to find her parents. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has taken to Twitter and Doordarshan promising a reward of ₹1 lakh for anyone who will help trace her family.
Also read: Geeta is symbol of India-Pakistan unity, says President
Believed to have inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan over a decade ago, Geeta was brought back to India on October 26, 2015 after much-publicised efforts of the government and various other agencies. Efforts to bring her back to India gained traction and popularity after the release of Salman Khan’s hit movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan with a similar plotline.
According to Ms. Swaraj, before bringing her to India, the government had launched a search for Geeta’s parents and had come up with a few possible matches, one of whom Geeta recognised as her own. Ms. Swaraj stated that Geeta even recognised the couple’s children as her siblings, but when they met face-to-face, Geeta failed to recognise them .
Since then, says Ms. Swaraj, the government has been trying to find her parents. Though safely housed at the Mook Badhir Sangathan, Indore, Geeta is desperate to find her family, she added.
Armed with no details except that her family is most likely from Jharkhand or Bihar, Ms. Swaraj has taken to Twitter to share pages of a diary written by Geeta in her native dialect.
“Geeta was rescued from Pakistan. She cannot speak or hear. We have obtained some pages from Pakistan written by her in a local dialect and in Devanagari script. Please see these pages and tell us the area where this dialect is spoken and what do these pages convey,” said the Minister. “This will help us locate her home and unite her with her family.”
The Minister has also directed Doordarshan to play her video appeal for a week on various DD channels, particularly in Bihar and Jharkhand. In case of any leads, please contact the Minister at Twitter/SushmaSwaraj or eammea.gov.in
