SIR in Bengal: Missing since 1997, UP man returns home after 30 yrs for electoral roll update

After nearly 30 years, 79-year-old Sharif Ahmad—long believed to be dead by his family—returned to his hometown in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district. He had come to collect documents for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, where he has been living for several years, news agency PTI reported.

Sharif had been missing since 1997, following his second marriage after the death of his first wife. His sudden return on December 29 came as both a shock and a moment of joy for his relatives, many of whom had given up hope of ever seeing him again, his nephew Waseem Ahmad said.

“We tried to trace him over the years. We even travelled to West Bengal and followed up on the address provided by his second wife, but all our efforts failed,” Waseem said, recalling the family’s long and fruitless search.

“With no contact for decades, his four daughters and the rest of the family assumed that he was no longer alive,” he added.

Sharif said he returned to his native place specifically to gather documents required for the SIR exercise in Bengal, which compelled him to reconnect with his roots. What was meant to be a brief administrative visit turned into an emotional reunion.

During his stay, Sharif learnt that several close family members, including his father and brother, had passed away during his absence. The realisation brought a mix of grief and reflection, highlighting the passage of time and years of separation.

Despite the decades apart, the reunion with his surviving family members was deeply moving. “Seeing him after so many years was an emotional moment for all of us,” Waseem said.

After completing the necessary formalities and spending time with his relatives, Sharif returned to Medinipur district in West Bengal, where he continues to live. His brief visit, however, left a lasting impact, reconnecting him with the family he had not seen for decades.

(With inputs from PTI)