Udavum Karangal, a Chennai based NGO, successfully reunited a man from Sivaganga district with his family. The man left home at the age of 25 and failed to return. After 21 long years the family was reunited on Pongal day.
On December 5, 2021, the members of Udavum Karangal found K. Pandian from Ilayangudi, Sivaganga district, on the streets near a bus stand in Chennai, in an unstable condition. They found that he had been injured following an accident.A member of the NGO D. Jacob saw the man and rescued him.
He was brought to the home run by the NGO and was provided fresh clothes and medical treatment.Initially, Pandian could not recollect anything about his family.
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After he started responding to the treatment, he told the NGO members that he belonged to Ilayangudi in Sivaganga district, said Srinivasa Rao, another member of the NGO.
The NGO managed to track a tea shop owner in Ilayangudi, who knew a relative of the man. But, the relative was not interested in taking him.
Later, a provision store owner in Ilayangudi was contacted for help.Through the provision store owner, a person who was closely associated with the family was contacted and it was ascertained that Pandian’s parents were alive. He has two brothers and one sister.
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They were immediately informed about Pandian.
They rushed to Chennai to meet Pandian.
Founder of Udavum Karangal S. Vidyaakar said that the family members had given up their search and their joy knew no bounds when they heard that he was alive.
They told the NGO members that Pandian had been suffering from psychological issues.
He had a habit of running away from home since his teenage years. The NGO members provided Pandian with a wheelchair and a walker.
The injury to the leg would take a few more days to heal, they said.
The reunited family then left for Sivaganga together.