Family Reunited After 26 Years: How Electoral Process SIR Brought Son Back to Parents in West Bengal

The elderly couple had been living alone since their son disappeared after facing financial difficulties

Kolkata:

In a heartwarming turn of events amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral process in West Bengal, an elderly couple has been reunited with their son who had disappeared 26 years ago.

Prashanta Dutta and his wife Santona Dutta of Habra had been living without their only son Tarun Dutta, who abruptly left home due to business debts and the shame associated with financial failure. The couple, whose daughters were already married, faced the painful absence of their son for over two decades.

Following Tarun's disappearance, Prashanta had to sell their land and property to settle the outstanding debts his son had accumulated in their paddy business. Despite clearing all financial obligations, the elderly couple had no way of communicating this to their missing son.

The unexpected reunion came about through the ongoing SIR exercise when a local booth-level officer (BLO) delivered voter registration forms to the Dutta household. Prashanta dutifully completed forms for himself, his wife, and his missing son before submitting them.

On November 29, the Habra BLO, Tapan Dhar, made a surprising discovery while processing these forms on the Election Commission's website. He found that Tarun Dutta was already registered as a voter in West Midnapore district.

Through collaboration with his counterpart in West Midnapore, Dhar established contact with Tarun, who had been living there all these years. This connection facilitated communication between Tarun's son and his grandparents, eventually leading to conversations between the long-separated family members.

During these emotional exchanges, the elderly couple reassured Tarun that all his debts had been resolved long ago and that he could safely return home without fear of creditors. His sisters also reconnected with him through video calls.

The grateful parents attributed this miraculous reunion entirely to the SIR process, expressing their profound relief with the simple statement: "Now we can die without regrets."