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Unyielding Spirit of Ranjeet: How a Survivor Became a Beacon of Hope
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - "I'm not guilty, and I won't stop fighting”, Ranjeet says, a strong and determined woman who was born and raised in Punjab, in the northwest of India. Six years ago, she was forced to leave everything behind, not by choice but by necessity. Since that fateful day that changed her life forever, she hasn't set foot on home soil.
Ranjeet begins to recount the story of her life and how it brought her to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She recalls facing one of the darkest moments that a woman can ever confront. "Ranjeet, you've always been strong," people would say, but strength wasn't enough to protect her. She was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking police officer in India, someone who was supposed to serve justice, not shatter it. Her story became a sensation across the country, because she decided to speak out and seek justice. Despite the brutality of the attack and the bleak aftermath, the most painful part was the reaction of those closest to her.
"Please, don't talk to anybody about this," advised her mother, a social worker, who urged her to stay silent, as it would bring shame on the family. "No," Ranjeet said firmly. "Tomorrow, it could be someone else’s daughter enduring the same horrors. But if standing up meant severing family ties, who saw me as a shameful burden, so be it", recalls Ranjeet. She was evicted from her family’s lives, since the cultural guilt was too much for them to bear.
The price of defiance was steep with her husband, unable to cope with the stigma of the assault, divorced Ranjeet. "He was ashamed and forbade me from seeing our son. I will never forget his words: "We can't live together anymore."
Forced to make an unthinkable choice, after a near-fatal kidnapping incident designed to silence her during the court process, a close friend advised her to leave the country out of safety concerns. "A faint hope whispered in the back of my mind that it would only be a few days, and I could then return home," she recalls. "Six years later, I realized how naive that hope was. I fled my country to stay alive. My destination was unknown, my future uncertain, but I knew I had to leave to survive. Destiny led me to Bosnia and Herzegovina, far from anyone who could recognize me and therefore, my past."
Arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ranjeet recounted her harrowing story at a temporary reception center, explaining that her life was in danger for speaking out about what she had experienced in India. Ranjeet faced significant hurdles, navigating through a complex asylum process. Finding hope in the kindness of strangers gave her time to heal and inspired her. To help other women facing similar traumas, she began initially by volunteering for women's associations, using her skills as a translator in Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. This has helped rebuild her confidence as she patiently waited for the life-changing decision on the status of her asylum application.
"Giving back is vital," Ranjeet said with a smile, recalling how she embraced a variety of volunteer roles at several Non-Profit Organizations (NGOs). "The universe has given me a chance to help others, an emotional and spiritual calling I couldn’t ignore. Through small acts of courage and a heart full of empathy, I strived to change lives and empower those most in need."
Eventually, the Ministry of Security granted Ranjeet international protection, offering a lifeline after months of uncertainty. “This protection gave me what I had been looking for all along: safety, stability and a chance to rebuild my life," she says. "The past six years have taught me resilience. Never give up on yourself - I often tell others. No matter what the judgment is, your destiny is yours to shape. The scars remain, but I’ve learned to forgive, but not forget. And forgive I must, in order to break the patterns of resentment and embrace love,” she said, smiling through tears.
Six years on, it is clearly visible as we walk through the temporary reception center in Ušivak, close to Sarajevo, that Ranjeet’s reputation and the respect that she is shown by staff and residents. Ranjeet now works as a Protection Assistant for IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina, her experience as a refugee and unwavering resilience to help others shining through.
Ranjeet’s family also reached out to reconnect and her ex-husband granted visiting rights so that she could finally see her beloved son.
She slowly began to heal, found her purpose and created her own soul family in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I’d often tell myself: Ranjeet, you’re a warrior.”
Written by M. Balić, IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina, mbalic@iom.int