Ham radio operators unite woman with family after 37 years

kolkata: A tribal lady, who had lost contact with her family at Bokaro in Jharkhand at least 37 years back, was reunited with them by ham radio operators on Sunday.

The reunion deserves special mention as the 163rd birth anniversary of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose – the father of Radio Science— being on November 30.

The lady, Ganu Mondal (Bauri), had been working at a tea stall near Bakkhali sea beach for nearly four decades and living at the residence of one Baneshwar Mondal, the owner of the tea stall.

The information regarding the missing lady was received by Ambarish Nag Biswas, the custodian and secretary of West Bengal Radio Club—an organisation of ham radio enthusiasts— some 15 days back from a tourist. The information was confirmed by two civil defense volunteers Anup Sasmal and Soumitra Maity.

"It was a challenge for us as the lady could not provide any information about her past life except the fact that she hailed from a place called Charabasti," said Nag Biswas. He spoke with the lady to comprehend from the way she spoke about her probable birthplace.The accent that she used while speaking made Nag Biswas realise that she might have hailed from the tribal community in Birbhum, Bankura and Purulia district.An ambulance driver told Nag Biswas that a place called Chorabasti exists in Jharkhand. Finally with help of ham radio enthusiats and police and district administration, the lady's family was traced. She was handed over to her husband.