GUWAHATI, Sept 3 � Aisa Akhtara, a victim of sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancy, looks around in despair for her baby every now and then, but finds none in her vicinity.
Months after she and her baby were brought to Guwahati by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Himachal Pradesh, Aisa�s mental state, according to Ashadeep functionaries, has started showing signs of improvement.
The agonising story of Aisa, who is suffering from schizophrenia � a chronic mental disorder � and her child, that originated in Himachal Pradesh where �she was abused, leading to her unwanted pregnancy�, could now well end in Bangladesh.
After months of analysis, her native place has now been traced to Bangladesh. �Once her condition improves, we will try and establish contacts with the Bangladesh Embassy and ask for their help in locating the victim�s home, which she says is in a village called Kanaukuchi in Bangladesh,� said Anjana Goswami, director, Ashadeep, while talking to The Assam Tribune.
�We are also trying to seek help and support from other agencies to facilitate her return home. It will be a great achievement for us if we can help her meet her parents or family,� she said.
�The baby that was found with Aisa, who appeared mentally unwell, spoke a dialect which the CWC people of Himachal Pradesh, somehow related to that of Assam,� Goswami said while explaining how she landed in Guwahati.
Goswami said, �She enquires about her child every now and then, especially when she comes across the members of Missionaries of Charity visiting our place. It would also be nice if the State Government steps in to facilitate her return to her native place.�
While the baby is currently in the custody of Missionaries of Charity (Guwahati), Aisa is under the supervision of medical experts at Ashadeep, a mental healthcare centre in Guwahati.
Sister Della Grace of the Missionaries of Charity told this reporter that the CWC of Himachal Pradesh somehow related her with Assam and as part of their job, handed over both the woman and the baby to the Charity a couple of months back.
Dr Kamal Kalita, Associate Professor, Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, said that until and unless the condition of the mother improves it would not be right to bring the child close to her mother.
