After 15 years, man reunites with mother at Pingalwara

In an emotional reunion, a Hyderabad man, who had been searching his mentally challenged mother for the past 15 years, finally reunited with her at Pingalwara here — where she was undergoing treatment.

In an emotional reunion, a Hyderabad man, who had been searching his mentally challenged mother for the past 15 years, finally reunited with her at Pingalwara here — where she was undergoing treatment.

Srinivasan and his mother Lakshami (centre) with Bibi Inderjit Kaur, president, All India Pingalwara Charitable Society (right) in Amritsar on Wednesday.

“Fifteen years ago, we found Lakshami sitting in a miserable state outside Pingalwara, she was in her 40s then. She was mentally disturbed and all she remembered was that she belonged to Hyderabad. We sent her to Hyderabad with our sevadar (helper) twice, but she was unable to recall her address and was brought back to Amritsar,” said Col Darshan Singh Bawa (retd), Pingalwara’s chief administrator.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Lakshami’s son Srinivasan, who is in his 40s, said, “After a fight in the family, my mother left home in a fit of anger and as she was mentally ill, she did not know where to go. We searched for her years, but failed.”

Six years ago, a family from Hyderabad came to Pingalwara for charity work and was informed about Lakshami. The family was told about some slum area near Begumpet and was urged to inform the people there about Lakshami upon their return.

However, the Pingalwara administration has taken an assurance from the son that he will be getting her treatment done from a mental hospital at Secunderabad as Pingalwara had referred Lakshami’s case to the hospital.