NEW DELHI: The guns of India and Pakistan have fallen silent after the announcement of a ceasefire that paused the hostilities kicked off by India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7.
The ceasefire announced on Saturday allayed the fears of broader escalation but the wife of an Indian Border Security Force (BSF) trooper captured by Pakistan last month is perturbed about her husband.
She has asked her government if her ‘sindoor’ would be returned.
Sindoor is a vermilion mark worn mostly by rural Hindu women in their hair parting to depict their marital status.
Indian news publication The Wire reported that the family of 34-year-old Purnam Sau in Rishra, West Bengal, was hoping diplomatic efforts would help his return.
Sau, posted with the 24th Battalion of the BSF in Firozpur, Punjab, was deployed along the India-Pakistan border on April 23, when he assisted local farmers in evacuating a vulnerable zone and reportedly crossed the international boundary inadvertently.
The event took place at a time when tensions were high between India and Pakistan after 26 tourists were killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
Pakistani forces reportedly detained him and later released a photograph showing him blindfolded, confirming his capture, The Wire said.
At their modest home in Rishra in Hooghly district, Sau’s family is reeling from shock and uncertainty. His wife, Rajani Sau, seven months pregnant, collapsed while narrating her ordeal.
“My husband has been captured by the Pakistani army. He is in their custody. They have released a blindfolded photo of him,” she sobbed.
“BSF officers visited our home and told us they are trying to bring my husband back. But now the situation is like a war. I don’t know what news will come next!”
Purnam’s last call to Rajani was on the night of April 22, hours before his arrest, when he checked in on her health, as he often did after night shifts.
“So many days have passed, and there’s still no word from him,” she said.
At the mere mention of Operation Sindoor, Rajani broke down, pulling her veil over her face as she wept, “Give me back my sindoor, government!”
Purnam’s father, Bhola Sau, a retired security guard, voiced frustration at the silence following initial military assurances.
“We went to Firozpur with my daughter-in-law, and the army officers promised they were trying [to bring Purnam back]. Now, there’s no update.”
Sau’s mother said her son “served the nation” for 18 years. “Today, we feel abandoned.”
The incident has united Rishra’s tight-knit, largely non-Bengali migrant community, descendants of jute mill workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Locals have taken turns to visit the family’s home, where TV screens blare news updates around the clock.
“We’re torn. On one side, war cries; on the other, we beg for peace and Purnam’s safe return. We’ll celebrate with sindoor only when he’s home,” shared Purnam’s brother, Shyamsundar Shau.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed hope last Monday for a swift resolution from the Home Ministry. Hooghly MP Kalyan Banerjee confirmed he raised the issue with BSF commanders.
Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025
