Reunited with family, 95-yr-old great grandma from Bihar seeks to cast vote

Kolkata, April 20 (IANS) A 95-year-old woman from Bihar’s Banka district, who was found lying unconscious on a pavement in Howrah, near Kolkata, was reunited with her family on Saturday, thanks to efforts made by the police and members of the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC) -- an organisation of amateur radio operators.

Sajmu Nisha Sajoman had made two pleas to her rescuers. She was eager to return to her great-grandchildren as they would only have their meals if she told them stories and she wanted to cast her vote for the last time at a booth close to her house in Salmanpur village.

“Some passersby had first spotted her as she lay unconscious. The authorities at Golabari police station were informed and they swung into action. Sajmu was shifted to a hospital where she was diagnosed with severe dehydration due to the immense heat. She was administered intravenous fluids till she recovered. Thereafter, the police got in touch with us as the WBRC has reunited hundreds of lost people with their families through its wide network. The woman spoke of her great-grandchildren and said that she was from Salmanpur. She also said that she was eager to cast her vote,” said Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of the WBRC.

While the police started looking for Salmanpur in Uttar Pradesh, the WBRC searched in Bihar. Finally, it came to be known that a woman matching her description had been reported missing from Salmanpur village in Banka, Bihar. The HAMs got in touch with her family and Saimu’s grandchildren broke down on being shown her photograph. One of them immediately boarded a train for Howrah.

“Her family members informed us that they are facing trouble in feeding Sajmu’s great-grandchildren since she went missing. They also said that a dilapidated school building next to their house will act as a polling centre for the last time during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Sajmu is aware of this and is keen to vote. Though her age in the Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) is 89 years, she is actually 95, they said. We are touched by her enthusiasm to participate in the election process,” Nag Biswas added.