Jharkhand man spots village home on video call, reunites with family after 13 years
Dumka: He was separated from his family at the tender age of five, and spent the next 13 years at a children's home, some 1,700 km away from his village here.
Deepak Dehri, now 18, recently discovered that fate can also be kind, after images of Massanjore Dam and its scenic surroundings during a video call made him instantly locate his long-lost place of residence, and reunite with his loved ones.
A member of the Paharia primitive tribe of the state, Dehri lost his father when he was just five and his mother subsequently abandoned him, Officer-in-Charge of Massanjore police station Chandrashekhar Choubey told PTI.
He was brought to Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh by an aunt, but the child soon escaped, desperate to get back to his village. However, in his zeal to return, he boarded the wrong train, which took him to Rajasthan's Bikaner, Choubey said.
Dehri spent the next 13 years of his life at a 'Baal Grih' (children's home) run by the Social Welfare Department in Bikaner, where he would often turn emotional, reminiscing his childhood days and providing vivid descriptions of his village.
Intrigued by his accounts over the years, the superintendent of the remand home, Aravind Acharay, contacted the Massanjore police, said Choubey, who then made video calls to Dehri and showed him places similar to those he had narrated about.
It took Dehri no time to identify the area in the vicinity of Massanjore Dam where he lived. He also recounted that his father was a fisherman and recognised nearby locations where his relatives resided, the officer said.
During further video calls, his maternal uncle also identified the young man.
Dehri was finally handed over to his family members in Dumka by two constables from Bikaner in the presence of Choubey and other police officers on Friday evening.
"My joy knows no bounds. I am ready to do anything to earn a livelihood here among my own people," an elated Dehri, who could barely speak his native language 'Maundo', told PTI in Hindi.
Several members of his family made special offerings to God and celebrated his return, remaining witness to a fact that is often fictionalised in cinema and literary works.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
