New Delhi: He had gone missing from Jaipur 36 years ago. His family searched for him near and far but their perseverance came to nothing for over three decades. All of that changed earlier this year though when Gajanand Sharma was traced to Lahore’s Central Jail and on Monday, he finally crossed the Indo-Pak border at Wagah – to his family, home and freedom.
Gajanand was 32 when he went missing. He is 68 now. It has been a long journey – one that a short walk across the border can hardly ever highlight. It, nonetheless, was a walk that he would remember for the rest of his life – a life that has been full of struggles and a never-dying hope of returning to loved ones one day.
That he is alive was a news that came like a bolt out of the blue to Gajanand’s family earlier this year. They came to know about him when some documents to verify his citizenship were received by the office of Superintendent of Police (Rural), Jaipur from Pakistan. When the police reached out to Gajanand’s family members, they were left in a state of shock after hearing that he was lodged in Lahore Central Jail.
Gajanand’s younger son Mukesh Sharma identified his father from the photos shared with him. Gajanand’s wife Makhni Devi’s only wish was to get a glimpse of her husband who was long separated from her by a bad stroke of fate. And it was a wish that finally came true on Monday – just days before India’s Independence Day celebrations. For Gajananad, the words independence and freedom would have a much more significant meaning.
Source: Zee News