On August 22, 2023 Mr. Albinus Kerketta, a resident of Chattisgarh, embarked on a journey to Mangalore in search of employment. This journey took unexpected turns due to his partial mental illness, leading to a series of events which invited MAIN’s intervention in recuing him.

During his journey, Albinus Kerketta unknowingly got down from the train at the Mahbubnagar railway station in Telangana State, instead of reaching his intended destination. His inability to communicate in local language (Telugu) other than his tribal dialect added to his abandonment and misery. This led to suspicion and misunderstanding among the local people. Hence he was treated badly in Mahbubnagar railway station.

Noticing Albinus’s plight, a compassionate local resident reported the situation to the police patrolling there at the station. This marked the beginning of a chain of events aimed at reaching out to Albinus. Unfortunately, his abnormal behaviour due to his mental instability and his unfamiliarity with the surrounding made him to be aggressive with the locals. At the arrival of the local Police, a man Mr. Venkatesh (Cell: 9347063472) was requested by the police to take care of Albinus. The kind hearted police gave him Rs. 2,500 for his immediate need.

MAIN’s Intervention: On August 23, 2023, at 9.15 AM, Fr. Selvin, in charge of MAIN Zonal Hub, received a message from Fr. Arul in Ashirvad Bangalore about Mr. Albinus Kerketta who is a distant relative of Ms. Priyanka a kitchen staff in Ashirvad. Fr. Arul shared a contact number with Fr. Selvin. Meanwhile Ms. Priyanka also made a distress call to MAIN Central Hub in Delhi. Mr. Venkatesh (Telugu speaking) was contacted by Fr. Selvin and came to know that Mr. Venkatesh was unable to manage him and brought him back to the Police station again. From zonal Hub Fr. Selvin contacted quickly and informed CITRA, in Hyderabad, Telangana. Ms. Rajani was requested to follow up the issue with the contact number of Mr. Venkatesh and Ms. Priyanka. Urgency grew as Fr. Yesurathnam also informed migration in charge Fr. Vijay and Ms. Rajani to get into action. Communication lines were strengthened as Rajani reached out to Mahbubnagar’s Circle Inspector, Mr. Swami Goud (Cell: 87126 59313) and labour departments over phone.

Mental distress & Police Assistance: The Police Officer, CI Swami Goud revealed that Albinus is in mental distress and his behaviour is erratic. To ensure his safety, the police provided some money to a local person Mr. Venkatesh to care for him. However, Albinus’s struggles persisted, leading him to leave the shelter provided by Mr. Venkatesh. He ended up back at the police station, exacerbating his situation.

Glimmer of Hope: Despite the challenges, a glimmer of hope emerged. Fr. Martin from MAIN Central Hub in Delhi recognized connections between different cases, adding a layer of understanding to Albinus’s situation. We had a ray of hope as Priyanka, from Ashirvad, a Jesuit Social centre in Bangalore, shared the information that Albinus’s brother Mr. Peter along with another relative Mr. Akesh were coming from Mumbai to reach Mahbubnagar in search of Albinus. We thought they will arrive Mahbubnagar in time culminating our search that would lead to a heart-warming reunion.

Navigating Challenges: The puzzle pieces didn’t fit perfectly. Because Peter and  Akesh did not arrive at Mahbubnagar Police station and they too were stranded somewhere. Police searches yielded no results, leaving authorities puzzled. What to do with Albinus keeping him in the Police station! A breakthrough came from Ashirvad’s Fr. Arul, and Priyanka. They revealed that Peter and Akesh by mistake got down from train at Yagir, near Raichur in Karnataka – Telangana border.

Collaborative Efforts: August 24th marked a turning point. Rajani contacted Fr. Tiyol (Cell: 88673 60195) from Bijapur, a partner organization in Lok Manch, who extended help through Fr. Don SJ (Cell: 96201 63898) from the Manvi organization. Mr. Basavalinga, an employee of Fr. Don, detected Peter and Akesh and assisted them by providing food and money. They purchased train tickets for them to Mahabubnagar, initiating their journey back.

At eleven o’clock, Peter and Akash resumed their journey from Yagir to Mahabubnagar. At last they reached Jadcharla by 4 PM. Ms. Rajani’s plea to Jadcharla police received a positive response, exemplifying compassion in action. Constable Mr. Philip guided them to the Mahabubnagar Police Station.

A Heartfelt Reunion: The trio were reunited. Mr. Peter and Akesh decided to take back his brother Albinus to Mumbai to keep him with them.

Acknowledgments: This narrative of compassion amid anxiety and adversity was woven with threads of humanity, care, network and collaboration. Special thanks to those who played pivotal roles in this distress condition of the migrant by their intervention: • Fr. Selvin SJ from Bangalore ISI the Zonal Hub coordinator for his vigilance • Fr. Martin SJ from MAIN for his timely intervention • Fr. Arul and Priyanka from Ashirvad for their updated information • Fr. Tiyol from Bijapur, Fr. Don and his team from the Manvi organization for their generous help • Fr. Yesurathinam SJ, Fr. Vijay SJ, and Ms. Rajani from CITRA for their consistent and constant effort and perseverance. All our interventions finally brought an amicable solution to this distress condition of Mr. Albinus Kerketta. Amidst challenges of uncertainty and anxiety, the power of empathy and human connection prevailed till the end of a heart-warming reunion story of the one lost and found.

 

Reported by Ms. Rajani from MAIN – A.P.