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Journalism of Courage
AT 80, Dharmo Devi of Karyal Brahmana village in Jammu has all the discipline of age. At sunrise each day, she is up, hoping this will be the day her grandson Ranjit Kumar will come home. By sunset, hope, like the star in the sky, has come a full circle. Ranjit is in Lahore8217;s Lakhpat prison, having strayed into Pakistan in 1999.
It is estimated there are 800 Indian civilians in various Pakistani jails. From Jammu and Kashmir itself, there are many who have 8216;8216;gone across8217;8217;. Numbers are left to guesswork. Many Muslim families near the LoC have relatives in PoK. Voluntary 8216;8216;exfiltration8217;8217; is not unknown.
Ranjit8217;s case was different. On July 16, 1999, his mother, Kailasho Devi, asked why he was skipping school. He argued back and walked out of home. Never to return.
A year later Kailasho got a letter from Ranjit, telling her he had mistakenly crossed the border and was in Gujranwala jail. 8216;8216;Initially, I did not believe it,8217;8217; recalls Kailasho, 8216;8216;I asked him to send his photograph.8217;8217; After Ranjit sent her the third letter along with his photograph in 2001, Kailasho contacted the authorities.
After a few months, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad told her Ranjit was in prison for one year, on charges of espionage. He was 14 at the time.
The widowed mother now began writing to the prime minister, Union home minister and the chief minister. No one responded.
Ranjit completed his term and was brought to the Wagah border. BSF officials refused him entry into India. By the time his mother arrived to establish his identity, the Pakistani Rangers had taken him back. He was put in prison for another year.
Kailasho met PDP MP Trilok Singh Bajwa before his recent visit to Pakistan and requested him to ask after her son. Bajwa is back. But there8217;s no news from him. Munir is home. 8216;8216;Why,8217;8217; Kailasho can8217;t help asking, 8216;8216;isn8217;t my son?8217;8217;
