Lost and Found: A 52-Year Journey Ends in Reunion for Brothers Separated by Trauma

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, 2 November 2024, Kolkata : In a remarkable turn of fate, Rajkumar Bhoe, marked by the scars of his past, has finally reunited with his younger brother, Srujan Bhoe, after an agonizing separation of nearly 52 years. This reunion was made possible by Rajkumar's distinct physical features—a stoop from a fractured hip and deep scars on his back—which played a critical role in verifying his identity.

Rajkumar, who hails from Timjore village in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, was allegedly sold by his father, Kanthu Bhoe, in 1972 when he was just eight years old. This tragic decision, reportedly aided by his stepmother, set off a series of harrowing events that led Rajkumar far from home.

For decades, Rajkumar’s life was shrouded in uncertainty. He spent over 30 years in a shelter in Delhi before being moved to a government home in Howrah's Andul during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials at the Andul shelter sought to reunite him with his family once pandemic restrictions were lifted, prompting them to contact Ham Radio for assistance in tracing his roots.

“During the pandemic, we initiated a process to relocate individuals back to their home states. Since Rajkumar was fluent in both Bengali and Odia, he was moved to the Andul shelter,” explained a senior official at the shelter. The search for his family was complicated; Rajkumar could only recall his father’s name and the name of his village, with no childhood photographs to aid the search.

Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of the West Bengal Radio Club, which operates Ham Radio, shared the challenges they faced. “Tracking his family was tough, but with our network, we eventually traced his village and sought help from district magistrate Manoj Satyawan Mahajan.”

Upon being approached, Srujan was initially hesitant to reconnect with his brother, needing proof of identity. He remembered the unique physical marks from their childhood. “I knew if the scars matched, I would be certain he was my brother,” Srujan recounted.

During a video call, Srujan recognized the telltale signs: Rajkumar’s broken hip and scars, remnants of a violent past where their father had inflicted deep injuries. “My father regretted what he did in his later years, but he is no longer alive. I’m just glad to bring my brother back,” Srujan reflected after their first meeting at the shelter.

Rajkumar's memories of his life post-1972 are fragmented. He recalls being sold to a family in Uttar Pradesh where he faced abuse until he escaped. Found wandering after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, he spent decades in shelters, with police records indicating he had been missing since 1972.

As the reunion plans unfolded, the brothers faced further complications. Initially, Srujan was reluctant to take Rajkumar back, partly due to concerns about inheritance rights to their father’s estate, which includes substantial land. However, with the intervention of local authorities and assurances about property rights, Srujan eventually agreed to welcome Rajkumar home.

“Formalities are being finalized, and soon, Rajkumar will return to his family after 52 long years,” stated an official from the state social welfare department. The saga of lost and found encapsulates the resilience of familial bonds and the profound impact of compassion and community efforts in reuniting loved ones torn apart by trauma.