HE WAS RESCUED AND IDENTIFIED; 3 YEARS AFTER LYING UNKNOWN ON STREETS

Had it not been for the timely intervention of Fr. Biju P Thomas, Suresh would have been lying unknown on streets and cremated as an unidentified person. 

Suresh was lying under a fly over in Punjabi Bagh, for the last three years, and last week, on 7th July, Thursday, a malayali boy came to know that Suresh hails from Kerala and so gave a call to Fr Biju, the Vicar of St. Gregorios Church, Janakpuri.  Father took swift action and he took Suresh to a shelter home, Santhibhavan at Jasola, where he was cleaned and given good food.

Suresh said three years back he was hit by a vehicle, and he lay on the roadside unable to move, he ate biscuits and water provided by good samaritans. A rickshaw puller had left him in the present place.

Suresh lost his memory, so could not remember much about himself. He recollected that he has a brother called Sunil and that he came to Delhi at a very young age, accompanying his uncle, in search of a job.

After being cleaned and fed at the shelter home, Suresh slowly regained his memory and then he got nostalgic wanting to return to his village and meet his family. When his care takers asked him why he hadn’t shared his feelings with anyone in these three year, he said he had told some people.

Soon the news was shared by the media which led to more help coming from DMA (Delhi Malayalee Association). Minister Kodikunnil Suresh, visited him at the Shelter Home. Suresh’s mother recognised him from a picture in the Newspaper. She said that her son after leaving for Delhi, with his paternal uncle, 22 years back, at the age of 14,  never returned.

Suresh’s brother and a ward member, of his native village, left for Delhi and were to reach on Monday morning. Fate had something else in store for Suresh. He vomited blood on Sunday and his health took for the worse. Most of his internal organs were dysfunctional. He was admitted to the Holy Family Hospital and put on the ventilator and he died at 4:00 A.M. on Monday.

His body which was handed over to the DMS, was embalmed and kept at AIIMS. Many organisations and individuals came forward to help Suresh. His Body has been flown today to his home and finally will be buried beside in father, in his ancestral home in Kollam.

22 years is a very long time, fortunately for Suresh he did not forget his mother tongue that helped in his rescue. Suresh has been identified as Suresh Pillai from Thevalakara, son of Saraswathi Amma and Surendran Pillai. He got a brother Sunil and a sister Sujatha.

There are hundreds and thousands of such Suresh’s  on the street whom we presume to be drunkards or homeless. A small enquiry may change the life of the person forever.

Thanks to the effort of the Good Samaritans, Suresh could spend his last few days in a peaceful abode and establish communication with his family.