Separated for 48 years - three siblings finally meet in Abu Dhabi

In a heart-warming union, three Asian siblings met one another after 48 long years in Abu Dhabi.

While, T P Mammukutty, 75, and his sister Eyyathu, 85, flew into the UAE capital city from India, their brother Hamsa Sarkar, 74, arrived from Pakistan. A few other family members also accompanied the three elderly people on this historic trip.

Hamsa Sarkar – the fourth son of T P Marakkar and Ummathu who hailed from South Indian state Kerala – had gone missing from his home in 1951.  “He was a third standard student. Hamsa was fond of travelling. One day he went out to feed cattle and never returned,” recalled the oldest brother Mammukutty.

“I went with a team of Pakistani visitors who came to meet a famous physician in my village. I took a train from Shornur railway station and reached Calcutta.  From there I reached Bangladesh, then a part of Pakistan, and from there headed to Karachi,” said the Pakistani national Hamsa Marakkar, who calls himself Hamsa Sarkar now.

“I am very happy to meet my elder brother and sister after all these years.  I am old and sick and I never thought I would meet them. It was my daughter, Aeesha, a school teacher, who took the family reunion initiative,” Hamsa Sarkar told Emirates 24|7.

“By the time his parents came to know that their son was missing, Hamsa had already boarded the train from Calcutta.  He had no money on him and was pushed through the borders,” said his sister.

“After living in Pakistani for 17 years, he remembered his mom and came back to India. We set up a grocery shop for him. But then he again disappeared and returned to Karachi, Pakistani,” added his sister.

“Nadirshah, 42, who works in Abu Dhabi happened to show Hamsa’s picture to one of his Pakistani customer. This customer mentioned that the person in the picture looks exactly like a cook in a restaurant in Karachi, where he used to take food.”

“When I told my customer that I’ve been trying to trace the elder brother of my father, he took interest and located the person in the picture for me. As fate would have it, it turned out to be my uncle - Hamsa Sarkar.

Then a flurry of activities from both the sides ensured in the reunion of the elderly siblings in Abu Dhabi.

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