Bengal uses HAM radio to reunite lost elderly woman with family
Synopsis
A 67-year-old woman with deteriorating mental health spent two months at a Kolkata shelter, unidentified and unreachable by her family — until West Bengal's HAM radio operators traced her relatives through a village network in South 24-Parganas. The reunion, completed just before Durga Puja, highlights a quiet but growing role for amateur radio in Bengal's welfare system.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal authorities are partnering with the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC) to trace families of lost, mentally unwell individuals in state shelters.
Parbati Mallik , approximately 67 years old , was found wandering by a Kolkata Police officer on 11 August and sent to a state-run shelter by court order.
WBRC traced her family via a village contact in Sitarampur, Kakdwip, South 24-Parganas within a few days of starting the search.
Her daughter Puja , based in Madhyamgram, North 24-Parganas , was reunited with her mother ahead of Durga Puja 2026 .
HAM radio operators use community networks to succeed in cases where official and family searches have failed.
Authorities in West Bengal are increasingly turning to amateur radio operators to trace the families of lost individuals housed at state-run shelters — many of whom suffer from mental health conditions and cannot identify themselves or their relatives. In the latest instance, the effort reunited a 67-year-old woman named Parbati Mallik with her daughter, just ahead of Durga Puja 2026.
How the Search Unfolded
Officials at a Kolkata shelter reached out to the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC) after Parbati had been living at the facility for nearly two months, unable to provide details about her whereabouts or family. Using their network of amateur radio operators — commonly known as HAM operators — the club began tracing her background.
'We started searching for her family, and within a few days, one of our members got a lead in a village at Sitarampur, Kakdwip, in the South 24-Parganas district. Locals identified the woman from her photograph and helped us get in touch with one of her nephews,' said Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary of WBRC.
Parbati's Story
According to Nag Biswas, Parbati's nephew confirmed her identity. She had been married to Ashok Mallik of Budge Budge in South 24-Parganas, but the marriage did not last. She raised her two daughters on her own through considerable hardship. The elder daughter is now settled in Midnapore, while the younger daughter, Puja, works and lives at Madhyamgram in North 24-Parganas, near Kolkata.
Parbati had been living with her elder daughter in Midnapore before visiting Puja a few months ago. Her mental health reportedly deteriorated during that stay, and on 11 August she left Puja's home. All efforts by the family to locate her failed.
How She Was Found
A Kolkata Police officer found Parbati wandering and took her to a hospital. A court subsequently ordered her transfer to the state-run shelter, where officials initiated contact with WBRC. Once the club traced Puja, she rushed to the shelter with a letter from the chairman of Budge Budge Municipality confirming her mother's details.
A Homecoming Before the Festival
The WBRC secretary drew a poignant parallel to the season. 'We treat Durga Puja as a homecoming for the Goddess. Parbati is another name for Goddess Durga. This can be treated as a real homecoming of a mother,' Nag Biswas said.
This case is part of a broader and growing collaboration between West Bengal's shelter administration and HAM radio operators, who use wide-ranging community networks to succeed where conventional searches often fall short. With hundreds of vulnerable individuals in state shelters across Bengal unable to identify themselves, the initiative is likely to see continued and expanded use.
Point of View
But it should not be the primary safety net; it exposes how thin the official support network for vulnerable homeless adults actually is in one of India's most populous states.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How are HAM radio operators helping West Bengal's shelter authorities?
Amateur radio operators from the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC) use their wide community networks to trace the families of unidentified individuals housed at state-run shelters. Many of these residents have mental health conditions and cannot provide details about themselves, making conventional searches ineffective.
Who is Parbati Mallik and how was she found?
Parbati Mallik is an approximately 67-year-old woman from Budge Budge in South 24-Parganas, West Bengal. A Kolkata Police officer found her wandering on 11 August, and a court subsequently ordered her to a state-run shelter, whose officials then contacted WBRC to trace her family.
How did the West Bengal Radio Club locate Parbati's family?
Within days of starting the search, a WBRC member identified a lead in the village of Sitarampur, Kakdwip, in South 24-Parganas. Local residents recognised Parbati from her photograph and helped the club contact one of her nephews, who confirmed her identity and family background.
Who was Parbati reunited with, and what happened next?
Parbati was reunited with her younger daughter Puja, who lives and works in Madhyamgram, North 24-Parganas. Puja rushed to the Kolkata shelter carrying a letter from the chairman of Budge Budge Municipality confirming her mother's details.
Why is this initiative particularly relevant around Durga Puja?
WBRC secretary Ambarish Nag Biswas noted that 'Parbati' is another name for Goddess Durga, and Durga Puja is traditionally celebrated as the Goddess's homecoming. He described the reunion as a real-life homecoming of a mother, giving the case symbolic resonance during the festival season.
