Sneha, a researcher focused on children’s education in Spain, embarked on this journey with limited knowledge of her origins
OdishaPlus Bureau
An Indian-origin woman, who was adopted by a Spanish couple, has made the journey back to Odisha in search of her biological mother after being abandoned two decades ago.
Sneha, a researcher focused on children’s education in Spain, embarked on this journey with limited knowledge of her origins. Her adoptive parents, Gema Vidal and Juan Josh, have been supportive throughout her quest, even joining her on this trip. They returned to Bhubaneswar, the city where they adopted Sneha and her brother Somu from an orphanage in 2010. The siblings had been placed in the orphanage following their mother’s abandonment in 2005, when Sneha was only a year old.
“My journey from Spain to Bhubaneswar is driven by the desire to locate my biological parents, particularly my mother. I am determined to find and meet her, and I am ready for whatever challenges this journey may bring,” Sneha shared with reporters.
When asked about her feelings if she were to find her mother, Sneha opted not to reveal her emotions. However, the 21-year-old is aware that time is of the essence, as she must return to Spain on Monday to meet her educational obligations.
The adoptive mother stated, “We must return to Spain because Sneha has enrolled in a training program that cannot be interrupted. If we do not find her within the next 24 hours, we will return to Bhubaneswar in March.” In 2005, Sneha’s biological mother, Banalata, abandoned her and her brother Somu at their rented home in the Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar. Banalata’s husband, Santosh, who worked as a cook for a private company, had previously left the family, which included his wife and their four children, Sneha and Somu among them.
Subsequently, Banalata departed the rented residence with her two other children, leaving Sneha and Somu behind. The landlord alerted the police, and the siblings were subsequently placed in an orphanage. In 2010, Sneha, who was over five years old, and Somu, around four, were legally adopted by a couple from Spain. “Sneha is very responsible and well-educated. She brings joy to our home. She is our everything,” Gema expressed.
Gema mentioned that she had informed Sneha and Somu about their origins in Odisha and their adoption. “She is well-educated and engaged in research, which led her to seek out her biological mother, and I accompanied her on this journey,” Gema added.
In their intense search in Bhubaneswar, Gema and Sneha encountered Sneha Sudha Mishra, a retired educator from Rama Devi Women’s University, who assisted them in identifying her parents’ names. “We learned about her parents’ names from the landlord in Nayapalli, and subsequently, we confirmed the names with both the police and the orphanage,” Mishra stated.
The Odisha police have also extended their support to Sneha in her quest to find her mother. “We have discovered that Banalata Das and Santosh hail from the Badamba-Narsinghpur region in Cuttack district. We have enlisted the help of police and local panchayat officials to track them down,” Inspector Anjali Chhotray reported.
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