Online classes help reunite boy with kin after 9 years

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 22

The Covid-induced online classes have proved to be a blessing for hearing and speech impaired Abdul Razak, who has been reunited with his family after having been separated for more than nine years.

Razak got separated from his family at a religious fair in Fatehgarh Sahib in 2011. A philanthropist, Gurnam Singh, found the abandoned child who couldn’t communicate.

Singh took Razak to his family at Bharionpur village in the district as he made futile attempts to trace his roots. Eight years ago, Razak was put in the Patiala School for the Deaf, from where he recently matriculated.

Three months ago, Razak shifted to computers for daily classes. Col (retd) Karminder Singh, a school functionary, said: “Exchanging notes on his Facebook profile created during classes, Razak identified a friend. Through him, he was able to trace his family to Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh.”

Today, Razak’s father Talib Ali, a tailor, reached Patiala and was reunited with his son. “I am grateful to Punjab, Gurnam Singh and the school for taking good care of my son and ensuring he followed his religious beliefs,” Talib Ali told The Tribune.

Recalling the events of 2011, Ali said he was attending a fair at Sirhind when he lost his son in the melee. “I looked for him for a few days and even approached the police,” he said. Expressing his gratitude, Razak wrote: “I was 8 when I was rendered homeless. The efforts of Gurnam Singh, teachers and school enabled me to not only express myself through writings, but also trace my parents.”