Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh: In a heartwarming story of reunion and perseverance, a man from Himachal Pradesh, missing for 15 years due to memory loss, has finally returned to his family with the help of social media. Baldev, a resident of Ghirtholi village in Hamirpur district, went missing while on his way to his first posting in the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), and the long-lost reunion resembled a festive homecoming.

The GREF, a key component of the Indian Army under the Border Roads Organisation, plays a critical role in building and maintaining roads, bridges, and other infrastructure along border areas and strategic locations to ensure troop movement and logistical support. Baldev was to join this vital service when he disappeared.

According to his family, Baldev last communicated with them from Delhi, but he vanished shortly after and never reported for duty. His brother, Pratap, recounted that the family filed a missing person report soon after his disappearance, but for years, there were no leads. It was later discovered that Baldev had lost his memory, which prevented him from returning home or resuming his life in the Army.

Over the years, Baldev survived under challenging circumstances. Pratap explained that he lived in a cow shelter in Hisar, Haryana, for nine years before being asked to leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, a family from Rajasthan found him and took him in. Despite his memory loss, Baldev would often reminisce about his home in Hamirpur, sometimes even mentioning Una, a nearby town.

The breakthrough came when the Rajasthan family made a video of Baldev speaking about his home and uploaded it on Facebook. His sister-in-law happened to see the video and immediately recognized him. The family then travelled to Rajasthan over the weekend to bring Baldev back to Hamirpur.

The return of Baldev was celebrated with great joy and emotion. Family members, friends, and villagers gathered to welcome him with drums, trumpets, and aarti, creating a festive atmosphere. Local leaders, including MLA Captain Ranjit Singh, panchayat head Kanta Devi, and District General Secretary of the Rajput Mahasabha, Jogendra Thakur, joined the celebrations and offered sweets to the family.

Baldev’s family noted that his memory remains fragile. While he can recognize only a few people, including family members, classmates, and those he lived with over the years, they are hopeful that being back home will help him gradually reconnect with his past.

This remarkable reunion underscores the transformative power of social media in reconnecting families separated by circumstances beyond their control and highlights the resilience of human bonds in the face of long-term adversity.