NEW DELHI: Gullena Biraiah, an octogenarian from Telangana, wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi (Varanasi) in Uttar Pradesh, following a bitter quarrel with his son. But a series of miscommunications due to language barrier prolonged his journey, making him board trains to Kolkata and Odisha before he ended up in Delhi again. Before he could proceed further, he was struck by another blow—the nationwide Covid-19 Lockdown.
Stranded for over 70 days at a shelter home in Delhi, Biraiah could return to his hometown in Jangaon, some 60 km from Warangal, only last week, thanks to a group of Samaritans who sent him via a special AC train. “I was helpless…I couldn’t find anyone who could speak or understand Telugu,” the 80-year-old told over the phone. “It was difficult for me to explain to people what I was facing.”
Lalit Meena, a 23-year-old civil service aspirant who arranged his trip back home, recounts, “The elderly man was in distress, gesturing in sign language. I got in touch with a friend who is from Telangana to talk to him. Realising his misery, we booked his tickets to Warangal. My friend then picked him up from the station and dropped him till his village in a cab.”