Falgun Binnendijk was just three days old when his mother left him at Matru Sewa Sangh on Ambazari Road in Nagpur in February 1985. Records show she was 21, unmarried and without support. After staying at the shelter for about a month, a nurse named him Falgun, after the month of his birth.
Forty years later, Falgun Binnendijk is back in Nagpur, once again searching for the woman who gave him life and then vanished. This is his third visit to the city where his story began.
Adopted, but always told the truth
Soon after he was surrendered, adoption formalities were completed. Falgun was first taken to Mumbai and then flown to the Netherlands by a Dutch couple who adopted him. He grew up in a loving and comfortable home. His adoption was never kept a secret. “It was like an open book,” he recalled during his visit last month.
He first returned to India in 2006 at the age of 18, travelling as a tourist. Though he barely knew the country, he felt a strange familiarity. “People would speak to me in Hindi, assuming I was Indian,” he said.
Later, reading the Mahabharata left a deep impact on him, especially the story of Karna. “Every Karna deserves the chance to meet his Kunti,” he said, explaining his need to search for his biological mother.
A search that continues
In 2017, Falgun returned with a clear purpose and visited Matru Sewa Sangh. Old records revealed his biological mother’s name, but her address could not be traced. “We tried everything, but the trail had gone cold,” he said.
Life moved on. Falgun married, became the father of four children and entered politics. He was eventually elected Mayor of Heemstede, near Amsterdam. Yet, he felt something remained unfinished. Encouraged by his wife, he decided to try once more.
He returned again in August 2024 with the support of local officials, who searched through old municipal and district records. The effort again reached a dead end.
Then, in December 2025, a breakthrough came. Officials traced a retired nurse from Matru Sewa Sangh. When Falgun met her, both recognised each other instantly. She was the nurse who had named him. Realising he was sitting with one of the first people from his life, both broke down in tears.
When he speaks of his biological mother, Falgun expresses no bitterness. “She may be living with guilt, thinking she did something unforgivable. I just want to tell her that I am fine, that I have a good life, and that her child grew up loved,” he said.
Falgun has given his children both Indian and Dutch names, and one of his daughters carries his biological mother’s name. He plans to return to Nagpur next year, determined to continue his search.
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