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Geeta Signs The National Anthem

Geeta Signs The National Anthem
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, left, hugs Geeta, 23, a deaf and mute Indian woman who accidentally strayed into Pakistan as a child 12 years ago, during a press conference in New Delhi, India, Monday, Oct. 26, 2015. More than a decade ago, Geeta was found by Pakistan border troops, alone and weeping, near the border. Since she could not explain where she had come from, she was presumed to be Pakistani. The army handed the girl to a well-known Pakistani charity that ran a number of homes for orphans. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

INDORE -- Geeta, the deaf and mute girl who returned to India recently after inadvertently crossing into Pakistan over a decade ago, today presented the national anthem in sign language.

She is at present staying at residential premises of an NGO here which runs an institute for the hearing and speech impaired.

"Geeta presented the national anthem in sign language with other students. This is for the first time that she presented the Jana Gana Mana," the institute's sign language head Monika Punjabi Verma told PTI.

"Our priority is to make Geeta adjust in the new environment as soon as possible. Thereafter we will facilitate her education, including the professional training, to economically empower her."

"Alicia Sort Leal, a psychologist from Barcelona (Spain) is camping at the institute. Alicia's help will be sought for Geeta," she said.

Verma dismissed the news report that Geeta was unwell, saying she was tired after a long journey, but recovered after the rest.

Geeta, who had accidentally landed in Pakistan over a decade ago, returned to India on October 26. She was reportedly just 7 or 8 years old when she was found sitting alone on the Samjhauta Express by the Pakistan Rangers 15 years ago at the Lahore railway station.

She was then adopted by the Edhi Foundation's Bilquis Edhi. Her story came to light after the release of Salman Khan-starrer 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' in which the hero unites a Pakistani girl with her mother.

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-- This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.