Srinagar, Mar 20: Life came full circle for 87-year-old Rashid Anwar Dhar when he boarded a flight to Srinagar from Sharjah after 40 years.
A doctor turned businessman, he lost his memory eons ago. In January last year, he was found abandoned in front of the Indian Association Sharjah (IAS) office. IAS then perused his case and a year on, he flew to Kashmir for a happy reunion with his family.
After nearly 40 years away from home and facing significant health challenges, 85-year-old Dr. Rashid Anwar Dhar is finally returning to the embrace of his hometown and family in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Local media reported that the elderly doctor had been receiving care in various UAE hospitals over the past two years. His situation complicated due to health issues and a lack of proper identification documents.
Unable to provide detailed personal information when first contacted, Dhar’s case presented unique challenges to consular officials. Through persistent efforts, the Indian Consulate at Dubai coordinated with authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to trace Dhar’s family and confirm his identity.
“Every case is unique, but Dhar’s situation touched our hearts,” a social worker involved in the case was quoted by media. “Imagining someone his age, so far from home for so many years, we were determined to help him reconnect with his roots
”The repatriation effort required seamless coordination between multiple departments of the Indian Mission, including the Medical Desk, Consular Wing, and Passport Section, all working diligently to verify his nationality and process essential travel documents.
Indian Association Sharjah stepped in to provide temporary accommodation, meals, and ongoing medical support. Recognizing Dhar’s fragile condition, they arranged not only his air tickets but also an escort to accompany him on his journey back to Srinagar.
It is not immediately clear exactly how long he had been stranded in the UAE.
“He was found abandoned in front of the IAS office in January 2024,” Gulf News quoted Nissar Thalangara, president of IAS.
“His condition was heartbreaking, but with the support of the Indian Consulate, we were able to locate his family and ensure his safe return,” he said.
Thalangara said IAS managing committee members and PRO Sreehari Kochumon worked for several months to trace his family while the association’s staff members Mohammed Musthafa and Aimon Musharaf took care of him.
“We took up his case with the consulate when we held an Open House of the mission to address community issues. The Consul General of India in Dubai Satish Kumar Sivan, Deputy Consul General Yatin Patel, and Labour Consul Pabitra Kumar Majumder offered us full support.”
He also thanked the UAE authorities who assisted with Dhar’s treatment for some months before his brother’s details in a remote village in Srinagar were recently found out.
Who is Dhar?
Though he could not remember the details of his family members or home address, Dhar claimed that he was a doctor from Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities are yet to verify this, Gulf News reported.
Dhar also told community volunteers that he had married and had a son before leaving Kashmir, but eventually remarried another woman here. According to him, it was after the passing of his wife here that his business in Ras Al Khaimah went bust and he became ill and stranded.
Though none of this could be immediately verified, officials were able to retrieve information about his passport issued in 1989 which helped the consulate issue an Emergency Certificate (EC) to facilitate his travel back home.
Commonly known as an out-pass, the EC is a temporary travel document, which looks like an Indian passport in white color, issued to those who do not possess a valid passport, for one-time travel back home.
Sree Prakash, IAS secretary, said everyone associated with Dhar’s case had been grateful for doing a noble deed in the holy month of Ramadan. “This is a story of love, kindness, and camaraderie that goes beyond borders and faiths. We are extremely happy that he will be home for this Eid,” he said.