An emotional reunion unfolded in Koraput after a migrant labourer couple was reunited with their son and daughter, who had gone missing nearly a decade ago while the family was living in Tamil Nadu. The parents, overwhelmed with emotion, embraced their children after years of uncertainty and separation.
According to Dr. Gayatri Devi, Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Koraput, the missing children , Jhadeswar and Indravati, son and daughter of Daleya Kulesika from Upper Jamuguda village under Bandhugaon block of Koraput district had gone missing 10 years ago when their parents were working as migrant daily wage labourers in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Following renewed efforts and information received about the children, the Koraput Child Welfare Committee coordinated with its counterpart in Tamil Nadu. A rescue team from the CWC in Coimbatore traced the children, who had been staying in a children’s home and pursuing their studies in a government school.
The children were formally reunited with their parents in the presence of Manoj Satyavan Mahajan District Collector in his office in Koraput.
However, officials have identified a new challenge concerning the children’s education. Having spent the last decade in Tamil Nadu, both Jhadeswar and Indravati studied in Tamil and English medium schools and no longer understand or speak Odia. Jhadeswar is currently studying in Class IX, while Indravati is in Class X.
Expressing concern over their academic continuity, CWC officials highlighted the language barrier as a major hurdle. Responding to the issue, the District Collector assured the family that arrangements would be made at the earliest to facilitate the children’s admission into an English-medium institution, including an Adarsh Vidyalaya or another suitable school.
Following the reunion, the children returned to their native village along with their family.
