Father hopes son lost in tsunami will return next year

A former IAF officer whose only son disappeared after the 2004 tsunami hopes to find him in the next one year starting from January 2016 -- on the strength of astrological advice.

For the past 11 years, M. Venkataraman has been searching across the country for V. Arvind, who was separated from him by the giant waves which hit Car Nicobar Islands on December 26, 2004.

"Astrologers have predicted that my son would come back between January 11, 2016 and January 11, 2017. We are all hoping it happens," Venkataraman told IANS here before leaving for a temple.

Since 2004, every year on this date, Venkataraman has made it a habit to go to a temple and pray to God to help him locate his son.

"To the best of my ability I have tried and I am still trying to trace my son," he said. He has a college-going daughter too.

Venkataraman said he had spent nearly Rs.800,000 in search of his son and now has to save for his dauther's marriage.

"After all these years, we got our daughter gold jewellery for daily use. She has not asked for anything all these years," he said, emotions choking his voice.

The daughter is studying B.Com here. Venkataraman works as a security manager in a private company.

The day after tsunami hit the Car Nicobar, the Indian Air Force (IAF) sent all its personnel posted there to Tambaram near Chennai.

Venkataraman does not blame the IAF for forcing everyone to leave Car Nicobar as the situation at that time there demanded such an action.

Subsequently, when he went back, he was told his son was spotted in a relief camp in Port Blair.

At the relief camp the distraught father was told that his son Arvind was handed over to "two uncles".

"As per my son's horoscope, he will live for more than 75 years. So I am confident the tsunami did not kill him," Venkataraman said.

"My wife is confident our son will return one day," he added, adding both his wife and he had deep faith in God.

Venkataraman said his IAF friend Ravi Shankar, who lost his daughter Apurva during tsunami at Car Nicobar, has also not lost the hope of getting her back.

"Though we are in touch over phone regularly, on this day (December 26) we don't call each other," Venkataraman said. The reason is obvious - pain and agony.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)