ETV Bharat Impact: Hansi Prahari reunites with family

ETV Bharat reported the story of Hansi Prahari, a former firebrand student union leader, who was found begging in Haridwar. She has reunited with family on Wednesday after her brother came to meet her in Haridwar.

Haridwar: Over the last week ETV Bharat did a series of news reports on Hansi Prahari -- the former student union leader and a distinguished alumnus of Kumaon university -- narrating her story and how she ended up begging in the streets of the holy city of Haridwar along with her son. In yet another impact of the series by ETV Bharat, Hansi was reunited with her family on Wednesday.

Her brother Anand reached Haridwar on Wednesday to meet his sister.

Earlier, Anand had approached Rekha Arya, Uttarakhand DGP to probe on those who were responsible for Hansi's state. Anand was disheartened at the sight of his own sister begging on the streets of Haridwar. He said it was Hansi who made him capable of reading and writing.

Read: 'Pride' of Kumaon University forced to beg, had taken on political heavyweights

Hansi, who was always a bright student, came into news when she became the Vice-President of the Students' Union of Kumaon University. After her MA in English and Political Science from Kumaon University, Hansa worked as a librarian at the same university for four years.

Hansi had also contested Assembly elections in 2002 from Someshwar constituency as an independent candidate against the present lawmakers Pradeep Tamta and Ajay Tamta. The villagers had persuaded her to contest the election, as she was an educated person. She had polled 2,000 more votes than former union minister and present MP Ajay Tamta.

After problems in her marital life, she suffered through bouts of depression and became inclined towards religion. She decided to leave her family and came down to live in the holy city of Haridwar. Meanwhile, her health too deteriorated, and she was not in a state to take up any job. She was compelled to take to begging for survival. However, Hansi now feels that if she is given proper medical treatment, an abode to stay and take care of her children, she will be ready to once again take up a job.

Hansi said that she has been begging in Haridwar since 2012 to survive and to support the upbringing of her six-year-old son. Hansi has two children. While her daughter lives with her grandmother, the son lives with her on the footpath.