23 year-old Indian deaf and mute girl Geeta might fall to depression if none of her relatives or family from across the border come to claim her, Pakistan’s renowned social activist Bilquis Edhi has said, according to a report.
“If no-one comes forward to claim her this time as well, she will fall into depression once again. We have been through this several times before, too, and this time it is thanks to that Bollywood hero Salman Khan,” said Mrs Edhi. Geeta has been living in Pakistan for the last 12 years and has been estranged from her relatives in India ever since. Geeta performs pooja everyday and also prays five times daily.
“Reporters come and go. They do interviews with our Geeta. They publish her story in newspapers and magazines but so far nothing has come of it other than raising the poor child’s hopes,” Mrs Edhi said.
Pakistan’s former federal minister and human rights activist Ansar Burney had been campaigning for her cause since more than three years. However, Geeta’s unfortunate case came to light recently after the release of Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan. In the movie, Salman plays the role of an Indian who aids a mute Pakistani girl named ‘Munni’ to return to Pakistan. Munni, played by Harshaali Malhotra, had mistakenly wandered into India and wanted to return to her homeland Pakistan.
Geeta was visited by Indian High Commissioner T.C.A Raghavan yesterday, at Edhi house in Meethadar in Karachi. The Indina High Commissioner presented her with glad tidings and several gifts. Holding a press conference after the meeting, Raghavan stated that he would do everything in his power to make sure that Geeta was returned to her relatives in India.
There was also an interesting story behind Geeta’s name. Mrs Edhi revealed that Geeta had written in Sanskrit that she did not remember what her mother had called her, just that she called her Guddi. Hence, initially Mrs Edhi initially named her Fatima but then changed her name to Geeta.
“Then becoming convinced that she was Hindu after observing her ways I changed her name to Geeta,” she said.
According to Mrs Edhi, Geeta had also watched Bajrangi Bhaijaan and loved the ending of the movie, when the girl makes it across the border back to Pakistan.
“We watched the movie together. She loved its ending where the child eventually reaches home,” said Bilquis Edhi.
