Fanatics angry on Geeta but we don’t ask needy’s religion – even dacoits help us: Bilquis Bano Edhi

25.12.2015, Bilquis Bano Edhi, who co-founded Pakistan’s Edhi Foundation with her husband Abdul Sattar Edhi, sheltered hearing and speech-impaired Indian Geeta for a decade before she returned to India in October 2015. While the search for Geeta’s parents continues in India, the Edhis faced flak from fanatics in Pakistan for sheltering Geeta. Visiting Mumbai to receive Harmony Foundation’s Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice, Bano spoke with Mohammed Wajihuddin about withstanding zealots, charming dacoits, PM Narendra Modi moving her to tears – and serving Geeta and Gulshan:

Do you miss Geeta?
We miss her every moment. Ever since Pakistani officials brought her to our centre after she wandered into Pakistani territory, she was like my daughter. Since we work with deaf and mute children, i didn’t have difficulty in understanding her feelings through her signs.

When she met me, Geeta greeted me with folded hands and touched my feet – we knew she was a Hindu from India. We genuinely hoped Geeta would return home and find her parents.

When i saw Bajrangi Bhaijan, i said, ‘Yeh to meri aur Geeta ki kahani hai!’ After the Indian High Commission heard of Geeta’s story and my willingness to return her to India and Sushma Swaraj messaged, the process of Geeta’s homecoming started.

I was beside Geeta when PM Narendra Modi told her, ‘All of India will take care of you.’ As a mother, i was moved to tears.

I believe she will find her parents one day.

Was it difficult for you to shelter Geeta, a non-Muslim Indian girl?
Once the fanatics found a Hindu girl was at my centre, they started a campaign of canards. They questioned why we had kept her.

But when we take in abandoned people, we don’t ask their religion – humanity is the biggest religion for us.

We’ve been accused of being American agents, bad Muslims, what not – we are not scared. At different times, Pakistani rulers have offered dolelike defence land to us but my husband refused. Once, dacoits stopped our ambulance in which my husband was carrying a man seriously injured in an accident – on hearing he was Mr Edhi, the dacoits apologised and even offered help.

We accept help from common people, not kings and rulers.

Do you think India and Pakistan can come closer now? Your act was appreciated but politics over Ghulam Ali, etc., caused bitterness.

No-one’s ever stopped me from coming to India – this is my second home. We have relatives in Gujarat. A manmade boundary cannot divide hearts.

Artistes like Ghulam Ali don’t belong to one country – they rule the hearts of millions across the world. Everywhere i go in India, i’m welcomed warmly. At an award ceremony, i was overwhelmed by applause. I felt like a 20-year-old girl.

That is what people’s love does to you. Let both sides sink their hostilities and allow exchanges of artistes, singers and writers.

Our belief is in one life. We want to use every moment in service of the needy – whether Geeta or Gulshan.