Indore, July 24
Geeta, a woman with speech and hearing disabilities who had drawn national attention when she returned to India from Pakistan in 2015, has sought a government job after clearing the Class 8 exam in the first division. Officials said on Wednesday that 33-year-old Geeta scored 411 of 600 marks in the Class 8 exam conducted by the Madhya Pradesh State Open School Education Board with special merit in social science and Sanskrit. Anand Service Society, an Indore-based non-governmental organisation, has been trying to help Geeta transition to mainstream of society after her return from the neighbouring nation.
“Geeta is very excited about her exam result and is looking forward to her future with hope,” Gyanendra Purohit, secretary of the NGO and a sign language expert, said.
During a video call, Purohit said, Geeta used sign language to tell him she was keen on continuing her studies besides doing a government job. “The minimum educational qualification for recruitment of Class IV employees of the central and state governments is eighth pass. Geeta is now eligible to apply for government jobs in this category,” he said.
Purohit said Geeta’s real name is Radha. She currently lives in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district with her mother Meena Pandhare.
Geeta’s family is poor and she wants to do a job to become financially independent, he said. “According to her, she does not want to get married right now,” said Purohit. Geeta’s age is estimated to be 33 years. She had crossed over to Pakistan nearly 23 years ago after accidentally boarding a train as a child. She was found sitting alone on the Samjhauta Express at the Lahore railway station by Pakistan Rangers, according to officials.
Bilquis Edhi of Pakistan’s social organisation ‘Edhi Foundation’ adopted the girl with hearing and speech disabilities and kept her in Karachi.
It was due to the special efforts of the then external affairs minister late Sushma Swaraj that Geeta could return to India on October 26, 2015. The next day, she was sent to the residential complex of an NGO in Indore. Geeta has been living in Maharashtra after finding her family there in 2021.
