Poverty and unemployment forced my husband to decide to migrate to Kattappana, Idukki District in Kerala. Someone known to my husband invited us. I, along with my husband Besic Soren, age 23 and my 2-year-old child traveled to Kerala in September 2022. We boarded the train in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. As our train reached Ernakulam Junction in Kerala, my husband felt dizzy and got off the train. He told me that he would come back. After 5 minutes the train moved. I thought my husband would be sitting in the coach. When the train reached Trivandrum, I could not find my husband. My husband’s friend met us at the station and took us to Kattapanna, with the hope that Mr. Besic Soren would come soon.
The next day I received a call from my village that my husband is no more, and his body was found in a train bathroom in Chennai. The railway cleaning staffs in Chennai found the body. As my husband had his Aadhaar card with him, the police informed the local police station in Jharkhand, who in turn contacted my village. When the message reached me, I was totally broken, and all my dreams of a better life were shattered. Where will I go with my little child?
At the instruction of Chennai police, I along with my husband’s friend and child reached Chennai. I requested the police to send the body to Dhanbad so that I could give my husband an honorable burial. Chennai police agreed to send the body for post-mortem but asked for Rs 20,000 to buy some special medicine to preserve the body. Having heard of this news through Fr. Felix SJ in Dumka, Mr. Jibel Minz, Mr. Kiran and Mr. Venkatesh working in Jesuit Migrant Service, Chennai, reached the railway station and dialogued with the police. Looking at the condition of the family, Chennai police talked to the Jharkhand railway police seeking financial assistance. Jharkhand police offered support.
JMS staff and friends of Besic Soren asked Soren’s wife and child to go to Dhanbad and agreed to send the remains of Besic to Dhanbad, after completing legal formalities. After the post-mortem, the body was packed in a polyethylene sheet. As there was no direct train from Chennai to Dhanbad, on 23 September 2022 the police helped to reach the body to Arakkonam Junction, about 80 KM away from Chennai. Finally, the remains of Besic along with two Adivasi friends reached Dhanbad, on 25 September 2022.
I went to Kerala with a dream of a better life and have returned to my village without my husband. I want to thank the Good Samaritans who supported me in this moment of helplessness. I was broken and clueless. On 28 September 2022, I gave my husband an honorable burial. I do not know my future – Ms. Beti Hasda aged 23.
Mr. Jibel Minz
Staff of JMS