A mother’s unwavering hope finally turned into reality after 23 years when her missing son, rescued from alleged bonded labour in Punjab, returned home to Coimbatore. The emotional reunion was made possible through the efforts of government authorities and a voluntary organisation, bringing an end to a decades long search.
Coimbatore: For more than two decades, Sundari lived with one unwavering belief that her missing son was still alive somewhere. After 23 years of searching, that hope finally turned into reality when she embraced her elder son, Prakash, who was rescued from alleged bonded labour near the Punjab Pakistan border and brought back home to Coimbatore.
The emotional reunion marked the end of a journey that began in 2003, when Prakash disappeared from Coimbatore, leaving his mother searching for answers for more than two decades.
Originally from Virudhunagar district, Sundari and her husband Ramamoorthy had two sons. Following Ramamoorthy’s death due to illness in 1999, Sundari moved to Coimbatore in 2000 with her children in search of a livelihood and settled in a rented house in Kavundampalayam.
Three years later, tragedy struck when Prakash, then a Class III student, went missing. Despite filing complaints and seeking the help of relatives and voluntary organisations, Sundari was unable to trace him. Yet, she never gave up hope that one day her son would return.
Her prayers were finally answered after it emerged that Prakash had allegedly been forced into bonded labour near the Punjab Pakistan border. He was recently rescued with the assistance of a voluntary organisation based in Chandigarh.
To bring her son back to Tamil Nadu, Sundari approached the Coimbatore District Collector seeking official documents required to establish his identity. Following an inquiry, authorities verified that Prakash had studied up to Class III in Coimbatore and promptly arranged his Transfer Certificate and other supporting records.
Armed with the necessary documents, Sundari travelled to Punjab, where officials verified the records before formally handing over Prakash to her.
The moment the two met after 23 years was one of overwhelming emotion. With tears in her eyes, Sundari hugged her son tightly, bringing to an end years of uncertainty, prayers and an unrelenting search.
Speaking after returning to Coimbatore with her son, Sundari said she had never lost faith that he was alive.
“For 23 years, I prayed every day believing that my son would return. Today, those prayers have been answered. When he saw me, he recognised me immediately. He told me he had been subjected to hardship after being held as bonded labour before he was rescued with the help of a volunteer. I am deeply grateful to the District Collector, the government officials and social activist Muthaiya for helping reunite my son with me,” she said.
The emotional reunion marked the end of a journey that began in 2003, when Prakash disappeared from Coimbatore, leaving his mother searching for answers for more than two decades.
Originally from Virudhunagar district, Sundari and her husband Ramamoorthy had two sons. Following Ramamoorthy’s death due to illness in 1999, Sundari moved to Coimbatore in 2000 with her children in search of a livelihood and settled in a rented house in Kavundampalayam.
Three years later, tragedy struck when Prakash, then a Class III student, went missing. Despite filing complaints and seeking the help of relatives and voluntary organisations, Sundari was unable to trace him. Yet, she never gave up hope that one day her son would return.
Her prayers were finally answered after it emerged that Prakash had allegedly been forced into bonded labour near the Punjab Pakistan border. He was recently rescued with the assistance of a voluntary organisation based in Chandigarh.
To bring her son back to Tamil Nadu, Sundari approached the Coimbatore District Collector seeking official documents required to establish his identity. Following an inquiry, authorities verified that Prakash had studied up to Class III in Coimbatore and promptly arranged his Transfer Certificate and other supporting records.
Armed with the necessary documents, Sundari travelled to Punjab, where officials verified the records before formally handing over Prakash to her.
The moment the two met after 23 years was one of overwhelming emotion. With tears in her eyes, Sundari hugged her son tightly, bringing to an end years of uncertainty, prayers and an unrelenting search.
Speaking after returning to Coimbatore with her son, Sundari said she had never lost faith that he was alive.
“For 23 years, I prayed every day believing that my son would return. Today, those prayers have been answered. When he saw me, he recognised me immediately. He told me he had been subjected to hardship after being held as bonded labour before he was rescued with the help of a volunteer. I am deeply grateful to the District Collector, the government officials and social activist Muthaiya for helping reunite my son with me,” she said.