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Bhopal gas victim finds a family again

C Rakesh in Thiruvananthapuram

Naval Sihn, a victim of the Bhopal gas tragedy, lived on the streets, surviving on the food from garbage bins till he was picked up by Nanma, a voluntary organisation engaged in the rehabilitation of mentally-ill patients.

He was reunited with his family yesterday, two years after he was found in tattered clothes, matted hair, full of grime and soot.

Naval Sihn, a resident of the Navjivan Colony at Huzur in Bhopal, developed respiratory and neurological disorders following one of the worst industrial disasters in the country some 15 years ago. He was undergoing treatment till November 1995 when he disappeared from his home.

''All our efforts to trace him were unsuccessful till we got a letter from Nanma last week,'' said K S Naik, a close relative of Naval Sinh.

Naval Sinh was picked up from the streets two years ago by the volunteers, most of them medical students, and shifted to their shelter home in Thiruvananthapuram. ''Initially, he was reluctant to speak. Only a few weeks ago we managed to get his address,'' said Ajesh Kumar, one of the volunteers at Nanma (goodness).

''I got into a train at Bhopal and alighted at the last station here,'' 30-year-old Naval Sihn told UNI, while trying to recollect his past.

He is the luckiest of the 13 inmates in the shelter home. Efforts to trace the relatives of others are yet to yield results, said Dr Haridas of the psychology department of the Maharaja's College for Women here. Dr Haridas is also actively involved with Nanma.

Inder Ram, Tilakdhari, Raman, Yusuf Ali, Umakanth, Ravi and Ravindran were all found wandering aimlessly on the streets. Mentally disturbed people who find their way into south-bound long-distance trains end up at Thiruvananthapuram, the terminating station for many such trains.

Once they disembark, they start their aimless wandering, living on the streets, surviving on the leftovers. ''During a survey, we found 70-80 such men and women in Thiruvananthapuram,'' says Ajesh Kumar.

''Yes, it's a grave problem. The authorities have identified it as a major issue which needs proper attention,'' said Dr V Suraraj Mani, secretary of the state mental health authority.

UNI

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