Munish Sood
Mandi
Smritika Negi’s initiative continues to trace missing identities and reconnect people with their families; an Odia tattoo and fading memories helped solve Pramila’s 35-year-old family mystery
An Odia tattoo, fragments of childhood memories and the names of a few places became the crucial clues in an emotional search that ended nearly 35 years of separation, as Odisha woman Pramila was finally reunited with her family through a video call.
The latest success is part of ‘Mission Apno Tak’, an initiative started by Balh SDM Smritika Negi with the objective of tracing people who have become separated from their families and helping reconnect them with their loved ones.
The initiative has already resulted in several emotional family reunions, and Pramila’s case has added another deeply human chapter to the mission.
Pramila, who was recorded as Ramkali Malik in some institutional records, originally belongs to Alupua panchayat of Kendrapara district in Odisha. Her life had taken her far away from her home and family. According to available records, she spent time at a mental healthcare centre in Shimla from 2011 to 2018. She subsequently stayed at Nari Niketan in Shimla before reaching the Old Age Home at Bhangrotu, where she continued to receive care and support.
It was during a visit to the old age home that SDM Balh Smritika Negi, accompanied by Tehsil Welfare Officer Dharmshila, began working on the possibility of tracing Pramila’s family.
Negi interacted with her patiently, allowing her to speak about whatever she could remember about her identity, home and family. Among the scattered clues was a name tattooed in the Odia language on her arm.
Pramila also remembered Cuttack and some other places in Odisha. These seemingly small details became important leads and helped shift the search towards Kendrapara.
The effort was then expanded beyond Himachal Pradesh. Short videos of Pramila speaking about her memories were shared with Sabita Chanda and India Cares, who helped take the search forward in Odisha.
The Odisha Police also played an important role in pursuing and verifying the leads. Sabita Chanda contacted Arun Bothra, IPS, ADG, Odisha Railway Police and Coastal Security, while Amit Kumar Malik of the Odisha Police assisted in taking the information forward and establishing the necessary connections.
Several other individuals also contributed at different stages. Pranaya Raut and Raja Malik provided important clues that helped move the search closer to Pramila’s family.
After sustained efforts and the required verification, her family in Odisha was finally traced.
A call that ended 35 years of silence
The emotional culmination came today, when Pramila spoke to her family in Odisha through a video call after nearly three-and-a-half decades.
For the family, seeing her after so many years was an overwhelming moment. Tears of happiness accompanied the conversation as long-lost relationships were given an opportunity to reconnect.
For Pramila, the call was equally significant — a chance to once again hear familiar voices and reconnect with the family and memories that had remained buried beneath decades of separation.
What started with an Odia tattoo, a few remembered place names and fragments of a fading past eventually led back to her family.
The success also highlights the significance of Mission Apno Tak, which was initiated by SDM Balh Smritika Negi as a compassionate effort to look beyond institutional records and help restore identities and family connections.
The mission’s latest achievement demonstrates how an apparently small clue, when pursued with patience, sensitivity and coordination across states, can open the door to a family that has been waiting for decades.
Behind every institutional record, there is a human story — a name, a past, memories and relationships.
