Woman Stigmatized as ‘Witch’ Reunites with Daughter After 12 Years in Odisha’s Baripada

Baripada: In a heartwarming reunion, a woman in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district has found and reunited with her daughter after an agonizing separation of nearly 12 years. Branded as a witch, the woman had to leave her three-year-old daughter with her in-laws. The miraculous reunion took place at a Child Care Institute (CCI) in Baripada when an employee, almost by chance, discovered the girl’s parentage among 500 entries.

The emotional reunion was celebrated by the inmates of the CCI, who clapped and danced in joy as the mother and daughter shed tears of happiness. The 37-year-old woman, currently residing in a Puducherry ashram, contacted the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) after finding their phone number online.

Initially facing challenges in locating her daughter among the 500 inmates across 11 CCIs in the district, the DCPO’s office received a fortunate break when a staff member identified the girl’s parentage. Despite initial frustration and the woman’s departure to Puducherry, the DCPO contacted her when she was 100 km away from Baripada. The emotional reunion took place last week, with both mother and daughter smiling through tears.

The daughter, who had been admitted to the CCI at the age of 3, could not recall her mother’s name and addressed her simply as “Maa.” Expressing gratitude for finding her mother, the girl shared, “I have got everything in the world after finding my mother. I do not know what a father is in the life of a person. Thank God that my mother is alive and returned to me.”

The woman’s journey to Puducherry followed the untimely death of her husband and being stigmatized as a witch. After reaching the ashram, she unsuccessfully attempted to locate her daughter for 12 years, fearing further torture if she visited her deceased husband’s village. Eventually reaching out to the DCPO, the woman was able to reunite with her child.

Currently, the girl will continue to stay at the CCI, with plans for her to join her mother after completing her 10th standard examination next year. The mother is allowed to visit her daughter during this period, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.