ITBP men reunite 70-year-old with his family in Karnataka using social media, earn force’s top award

New Delhi, March 21

He spent three decades of his life living like a destitute—wearing torn clothes, spending days working at an eatery in Uttarakhand just for enough food to survive, nights at a nearby bus stop even in bone-chilling winters, and his plight kept only to himself as he spoke and understood nothing except Kannada.

But, 70-year-old Kenchappa Govindappa’s wait for uniting with his family ended earlier this year when he was spotted by ITBP Jawan Constable Riyaz Sunkad, while he was going on leave, at the roadside eatery in Chalthi village of Lohaghat area, 64 kms from Pithoragarh.

Sunkad went home, but Govindappa’s story kept troubling him.

He called his two seniors who hail from Karnataka—Head Constables Premananda Pai and Sharana Basava Ragapur—and told them about the man.

And thus began, Govindappa’s reunion story.

Pai and Ragapur were also proceeding on leave and they went to the eatery, where they found the man in a “real bad shape”. 

“He was in emotional shock. He was lost for years and could not get in touch with his family or relatives,” Pai told PTI over phone.

“The man knew only Kannada (a language alien to the sparsely-populated village). He used to sleep at a bus stop behind the eatery even in bone-chilling winters,” he said.           

The ITBP jawans sought more information from the eatery-owner who said that Kenchappa had come to this location on a truck many years back. He said he was not paid any money for his work at the shop.

“The eatery owner only gave him food for helping him in the daily chores,” Pai said.

He was living like a destitute as no one could understand his language and the plight he was enduring, he said.

The ITBP jawans provided him with adequate medical care and gave him a new look by replacing his torn clothes with new ones.

The troopers later made a video with the man at the eatery and uploaded it on social media platforms like Facebook. The video did not reach his family, but, fortunately, to someone who knew them.

After a few days, a call was received from an advocate who knew Kenchappa’s family who lived in Kalghatagi village of Dharwad district in Karnataka.

The ITBP personnel now embarked on an over 2,000-km journey to take the 70-year-old to his home he missed dearly for 30 years.                        

“We handed him over to his family who were elated to see him. We were informed that Kenchappa had six children—four sons and two daughters—and he had left home sometime in 1991 in search of a job.

“From Karnataka, he probably reached Maharashtra and later to Chalthi in Uttarakhand where we found him,” Pai said.

When asked what made them undertake this noble mission, Pai said in an unflattering tone: “How could we turn our back on someone who had suffered so much in life. It was only humane to do what we did.”

The ITBP personnel, posted with the 36th battalion of the border force, have been awarded the top force commendation in recognition of their humanitarian deed.

They have been given the Director General commendation role and silver disc insignia, meant for rendering exceptional service. The three joined the paramilitary force around 2002-2003.

Their citation said they are being awarded the top category force honour “for exemplary humane approach and a great sense of responsibility by reuniting an old man with his family by taking him from Chalthi to Dharwad”.

ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said, “The force is proud of the three men who did a humanitarian task beyond the call of their official duty and reaffirmed the values that the force stood for.”

The about 90,000 personnel strong ITBP is primarily tasked to guard the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China apart of rendering a variety of internal security duties which includes fighting Naxals in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. PTI