Current contradictory and rigid rules overshadow the humane purpose of reuniting these rescued
individuals with their families, says Chief Patron
SEAL Ashram is one of the most humanitarian organisations in the nation today, dedicated to rescuing
and reuniting destitute individuals with their families for the past 25 years. Their mission, RESCUNITEā
Rescue and Uniteāhas successfully brought joy and relief to hundreds of families. Till date, they have
reunified close to 550 people, bringing tears of joy and hope to countless families.
Last month, SEAL Ashram rescued 150 destitute individuals through their RESCUNITE pre-monsoon
drive, and these individuals are now ready to be reunited with their eagerly waiting families. Dr. Abraham Mathai, chief patron of SEAL Ashram said: “However, we face a significant bureaucratic hurdle: the Aadhaar card. Upon contacting the Aadhaar office, we were informed that any identification document or at least a PAN card is required to process the Aadhaar application.”
Unfortunately, for their rescuee with mental disabilities obtaining such documents is not feasible. When explained this to the Aadhaar office, they suggested that a disability certificate from the District Hospital would suffice. However, the District Hospital cannot issue the disability certificate without an Aadhaar card, creating an unfortunate stalemate, Dr. Mathai said.
SEAL Ashram has a history of securing Aadhaar cards for rescued destitutes. During the second wave
of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals under their care did not have Aadhaar cards, which were
necessary for vaccination. Since most of destitutes have no memory of their past or valid
documentation to prove their identity and family links, it was crucial to assist them for vaccination
purposes.
Recognizing that every citizen has a Right to Life enshrined in the Constitution, SEAL ashram worked
diligently to address this issue with the help of the then Collector. The Collector took a commendable
step by setting up an Aadhaar camp at SEAL Ashram for the 250 plus inmates out of which 25 destitute
Aadhaar applications got rejected because they had Aadhaar cards issued somewhere else in the
country. This resulted in the tracking of their original Aadhaar cards and in the process these 25
individuals got reunified with their families overnight, bringing immense joy and relief to all involved
as their families who were their rightful custodians were searching for them for years.
Dr. Mathai said: In light of the current contradictory and unfortunate situation where rigid rules overshadow the humane purpose of reuniting these rescued individuals from SEAL’s pre-monsoon drive, we earnestly appealed to the current Collector to intervene. It is crucial to recognize that sometimes, in situations with a humanitarian purpose, it is important to relax certain rules to achieve a greater good. We request the establishment of an Aadhaar camp at SEAL Ashram to facilitate the issuance of Aadhaar cards for these destitute individuals. This intervention will enable us to continue our mission of reuniting these individuals with their families at the earliest.
This prompt action in addressing this issue will not only resolve the bureaucratic impasse but also bring hope and joy to many families waiting to reunite with their loved ones.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
