Kurla’s Hamida Banu, who escaped from captivity after being trafficked 24 years ago, on her life in Pakistan and return to Mumbai
Hamida Banu (in green outfit) and her Indian family at their Kurla residence on Wednesday. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
After reaching the Wagah border, when I was told that I was in India again, I knew it was not true because, from where I was standing, I could only see the Pakistani flag. I asked, ‘Where is the tiranga [tricolour]?’ As I moved a little further, I saw our flag fluttering, I felt a sense of relief and was certain that I had finally returned,” Hamida Banu, a Kurla resident who was trafficked to Pakistan 24 years ago, told mid-day.
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I never went to school but I remember when we were living in the Kasaiwada locality in Kurla, we would visit a school for the hoisting of the tricolour on January 26 and August 15,” Hamida Banu said.
Hamida Banu, trafficking victim
The 67-year-old, who finally returned home in the wee hours of Wednesday thanks to the efforts of a Pakistani imam and YouTuber Waliullah Maroof, said, “I had brought sweets, hoping to offer them to my children after reuniting with them, but the delicacies were confiscated at the airport, which was infuriating. People had gifted me many new clothes, but I only took a few with me. I distributed my old clothes, along with some of the new ones, among the poor in Pakistan.”
Traumatic ordeal
Hamida Banu had worked as a cook for nine years in Doha, six months in Dubai and three months in Saudi Arabia before things took a turn for the worst. In 2002, the widowed mother of four was duped by a woman in Mulund, who delivered her to traffickers on the pretext of fetching her a job.
Hamida Banu and her daughter Yasmeen at their residence in Kurla on Wednesday. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Narrating how she came to be separated from her kin decades ago, Hamida Banu said, “I was trafficked along with four other women. Three were picked up from the airport in separate cars while one of the women, Shahnaz, and I were taken in one vehicle. We were held captive in a hut in Hyderabad in the Sindh province and our passports were confiscated. Our captors gave us plain food to eat.”
She added, “Whenever I sensed that the person holding us had bad intentions, I would sternly warn him, saying, ‘Don’t even think about it. I’ll gouge your eyes out!’ We were kept in that hut for about three months. During this time, they gave us a small amount of money every month, which we saved.”
The 67-year-old holds up a picture of herself as a younger woman
Narrating how she came to marry a Pakistani national, Hamida Banu, said, “One day, Shahnaz and I managed to escape. After wandering for many days, we used our savings to open a small shop in Karachi. Eventually, a shopkeeper in the neighbourhood who had lost his wife married me, in 2010, and brought me to his home. My second husband treated me with great care and ensured I had everything I needed, from food to clothing. He also knew I was Indian, but no one in Pakistan was aware of this. To keep my identity hidden, he used to call me ‘Pardeshi’ [foreigner].”
Hamida Banu did not have children with her second husband but looked after them as if they were her own. “My second husband had four young boys and one girl with his first wife, and I took care of them with the hope that my children in India would remain safe. After my husband’s death, his sons took care of me. In their children, I saw my granddaughters, and they loved me deeply. Even though I am now back in India with my family, those children remain very dear to my heart, and I miss them greatly,” she said.
“My granddaughters in Pakistan used to ask their father, ‘Why are you sending Grandma to India? Do you think she’s a burden?’ They told me that after reuniting with my family in India, I must return to see them again,” she added.
‘Never felt any hatred’
“Whenever I felt nervous, I would go out to roam the streets alone. I have been to different cities in Pakistan. I did have a desire to reunite with my children, but after living in Pakistan for 22 years, I never felt any hatred from the people there. Everyone was incredibly kind and loving, and they held a deep respect and affection for the people of India. Throughout my time in Pakistan, no one ever asked me who I was or why I was there. It was only after my video about being Indian went viral in 2022 that people became aware of my identity, and some came to question me. Last year, I was called to the Indian embassy in Pakistan, where I was questioned. Then, just two days ago, I was taken to the border with Waliullah Maroof, where I was treated with great respect and honour,” she said.
Explaining how she met Maroof, she said, “His mother had become a close friend of mine. When Waliullah introduced a trafficked Bangladeshi woman to her relatives, I began to feel hopeful. I asked him to make a video on me as well, which later went viral,” she said.
“Waliullah is a wonderful person and serves as an imam at the mosque. Without his help, I wouldn’t have been able to reunite with my family and return to India. No amount of prayers will ever be enough to express my gratitude,” she added.
The senior citizen said, “I request both governments to assist all the Indians currently in Pakistan, including Shahnaz, in returning to India. Shahnaz is a resident of Bangalore and has seven daughters and a son who live there. Although she is much younger than me, she is in a state of distress in Pakistan. Shahnaz was also married to a Pakistani person, but her husband has passed away. Her children from her Pakistani husband sold the family home and left her homeless. She is facing immense hardship.”
Hamida's family is overjoyed with her return to India. Her sister, Shahida, said, “We were taking medicines day and night, constantly visiting government departments and offices. Allah accepted our prayers. An angel named Waliullah helped us, and today my sister is back with us. When we went to receive my sister at the border, we brought a gift for Waliullah, hoping to meet him. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. We will continue to pray for Waliullah and keep him in our thoughts.”
2010
Year Hamida Banu got married for second time
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