“Return the Poornaam: The first demand of an unborn child”
“The country is silent, but not the wife: A soldier’s fight for return.”
BSF jawan Purnam Sahu has been in Pakistan’s custody for the past week. He crossed the border while on duty, and there has been no direct contact since then. His wife is eight months pregnant and has been constantly pleading with the authorities for her husband’s safe return. This is not just the story of one soldier, but the struggle of an unborn child to bring back his father. This is the time when we all should join hands to raise our voices to ensure his release, and this struggle should not remain lonely.
BSF jawan Purnam Sahu, posted on the India-Pakistan border, has been in Pakistan’s custody for the past week. This is not just news, but a tragedy in which a pregnant wife is spending sleepless nights, a mother-to-be is fighting to bring back her unborn child’s first hero.
This story is neither a film script nor an incident from a fictional novel. This is the reality of today’s India, and the question is—will we all still remain silent?
Purnam Sahu is a brave BSF jawan hailing from Chhattisgarh. During duty, he accidentally crossed the Line of Control and entered Pakistan’s territory, where he was captured. Such incidents have happened in the past as well, but what makes it more sensitive this time is the condition of his wife.
His wife is eight months pregnant. On one hand, there is the wait for motherhood; on the other hand, there is uncertainty about her husband. Every passing day is a punishment for her. She not only has to maintain physical and mental balance for her child but also has to knock on every possible door to ensure the return of her husband.
When an actor changes his hairstyle, thousands of tweets, memes, and news go viral on social media. But when a soldier is captured by an enemy country, why is the public reaction so limited and slow?
Is the suffering of soldiers no longer worth the TRP of TV channels?
Is patriotism now limited only to the tunes of 15 August and 26 January?
It doesn’t take much analysis to understand the situation of Poornam Sahu’s wife. Imagine you are about to become a mother, and at the same time your spouse is locked up somewhere as a prisoner of an enemy country. No information, no communication, just waiting and tears.
She is pleading with the officials every day. She is appealing to everyone from the prime minister to the defense minister, but her appeal is not making headlines in the media.
One question arises again and again—would the response have been so slow had the same situation happened with the family of a minister or a rich industrialist?
The first duty of governments is to ensure the safety of their citizens and especially their soldiers. Whatever our relations with Pakistan, it is the moral and constitutional responsibility of the government to continue dialogue and pressure for the withdrawal of troops on humanitarian grounds.
In the past years, we have seen that many times Pakistan has returned Indian citizens after they “accidentally crossed the border.” In such a situation, the government must take immediate action, raise the issue on international forums, and maintain contact through diplomatic channels.
But is anything like that happening today?
Of course, we can. In today’s times, a hashtag, a viral post, or a mass campaign has the power to shake governments. We should not let the struggle of Poornam Sahu’s wife become her lone battle.
You can:
1. Get #BringBackPurnamSahu trending on social media.
2. Write emails and letters to your regional MPs and MLAs.
3. Sign and share the online petition.
4. Email media channels and request that they raise this issue.
5. Organize a candle march, public meeting, or peace demonstration at the local level.
The fight of Poornam Sahu’s wife is the fight of every woman who spends her life waiting for the men engaged in protecting the country on the borders. This is the story of every family who lives with fear every day on ‘this side of the border.’
His wife’s eyes are questioning—
“Will my child even be able to see his father?”
“Will his first photo be in a newspaper column and not on a hospital wall?”
“Is it true that my husband’s uniform isn’t a guarantee of his life?”
The same media that considers even a minister sneezing as “breaking news,” why is it not taking the news of Purnam Sahu beyond 30 seconds of footage?
Are the stories of the country’s soldiers no longer “newsworthy” today?
Are our sympathies for soldiers now limited to ‘retweets’?
Today, Poornam Sahu is not held hostage by a country, but by our indifference. His wife is not the only one crying; the soul of the country is also crying—only we are unable to hear its voice.
Every time we remain silent, a soldier’s hope dies.
Every time we are careless, a child’s future goes into darkness.
Today we need to come together and be of one voice—
Make the call of Purnam Sahu’s wife so loud that it echoes till the Parliament of India.
May their unborn child receive all of our love, and may his or her birth become a hope, not a tragedy.
Make a post, appeal, be a voice.
Because when a soldier stands for us at the border,
So, it shouldn’t be our silence but the thunder of our support that should be behind him.
