Mandi (Munish Sood)
In a heartwarming turn of events, a woman named Sakamma, who had been missing for 25 years, was reunited with her family in Karnataka.
Sakamma, originally from Dananayakanakere village in Ballari district, had been living at an old-age home in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, until the district administration’s efforts paved the way for her emotional homecoming.
Journey of loss and hope
The story of Sakamma’s disappearance is both tragic and extraordinary. Twenty-five years ago, she attended a relative’s wedding in Hosapete with her children. However, a tragic misunderstanding led her to board a train bound for Chandigarh, inadvertently separating her from her family.
Over the years, Sakamma endured significant hardships as she travelled through various north Indian states before finding refuge in Mandi district.
Her family, left distraught by her sudden disappearance, reported her missing and even conducted her funeral rites after authorities discovered an unidentified body eight days later. For decades, they believed they had lost her forever.
Breakthrough discovery
Sakamma’s case came to light when Mandi ADC Rohit Rathore noticed her during a routine visit to old age home in Mandi. As language barrier stuck in, he roped in a district police officer Ravinandan BM, a probationer, himself a native of Karnataka, to communicate with her know her whereabouts.
Suspecting her origins, he recorded her testimony and shared it with a colleague, Vijay Kumar, in Bengaluru. The recording, uploaded on social media platform X, provided a breakthrough.
Sakamma revealed details of her hometown Dananayakanakere and her journey that led her to Mandi.
Officials in Karnataka, led by the Social Welfare Department, quickly put in efforts to trace her origin. P Manivannan, the department’s principal secretary, coordinated with the Himachal Pradesh administration to verify Sakamma’s identity.
A team comprising senior warden Basavaraj NG and other officials travelled to Mandi to take her back.
Emotional reunion
As the arrangements were finalised, Sakamma boarded an airplane for the first time in her life to return home. Her emotions ran high as she struggled to process the whirlwind of events unfolding around her.
Upon arriving at the Karnataka airport, she was welcomed in a traditional ceremony led by the state’s Social Welfare Minister.
In Ballari, her family awaited her arrival with bated breath. Yallappa, her son, expressed his overwhelming joy, saying, “Our mother went missing when we were children. We never imagined she would return. This is nothing short of a miracle.”
Triumph of humanity, cooperation
The successful reunion highlights the importance of cross-state collaboration and the compassion of officials involved.
From Mandi’s ADC Rohit Rathore to Karnataka’s social welfare authorities, every individual played a crucial role in ensuring Sakamma’s safe return.
Now back in her village, Sakamma is reconnecting with her family and adjusting to the life she left behind over two decades ago. Her story stands as a testament to resilience, hope and the power of collective effort.
