Sethu came to Udavum Karangal in March 2011, referred by an institution in Kerala. He was originally from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu. When he was 16, he was diagnosed with mental illness and admitted to the National Institute of Mental Health, Kilpauk, Chennai.
He escaped from there and found his way home. His mother worked in a brick kiln and she locked up Sethu while going to work. He got out and wandered off. That was the last time his mother saw him but she never gave up hope even though there was no news of him for almost 21 years.
When Sethu came to Udavum Karangal he seemed mute. But if someone went close to his face, it was clear he was whispering. Slowly he began to give information about his family.
Sethu’s cousin who had been his close friend was contacted and asked to bring some proof of identity. They brought the family photo. Sethu was able to identify his father, mother and cousin in the photo but he could not recognize them in person – nor could they believe that the 36 year old man was their lost child.
The mother touched his whole body looking for identity marks. It became a challenge to convince her. Earlier Sethu used to show stitch marks on his face and say that it was a result of a fight with his cousin. His cousin remembered the fight. Finally, with the other identity marks, the mother and cousin accepted that this indeed was Sethu.
Sethu’s mother who came to receive him could not believe her eyes. She cried narrating incidents from the past. I always believed in God and that one day I will find my son. Now she was old and alone and unable to work. Normally, once the family was found, the person was sent back with them. But seeing the extreme poverty, the mother was given the choice of leaving Sethu at Udavum Karangal. The mother became afraid that her son will not be given to her. She said, “He is my son. I can take care of him. I fed him when I had no food. I can beg or borrow and make sure that he is fed. I don’t mind starving.“
