Mangalore: With No Gift of Vision, They Live by Their Music

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)
 
Mangalore, May 9: To lead a decent life, people adopt different means to earn their daily bread. Among them, the less fortunate face more challenges than the fortunate ones.

While some choose to stand on their own feet, the rest opt unlawful ways of earning livelihood or some even end up begging on the streets.

Here is a troupe of blind singers (two men and a woman) from Kerala, who decided to earn their living as artistes by singing in the streets. Haris (30), Ismail (33) and Ramla (28) who hail from Kunnamangala of Kallikote in Kerala, have set an example on how to lead one's life with purpose. The constraint of visual impairment has not deterred them an inch from see life in the eye.

They exhibit their talents mainly in the borders of Kerala and Karnataka, and also perform in Manjeshwar, Thokkottu and Ullal. They sing good old songs, preferably Hindi, from street to street. Even though there is no invitation, no glamorous outfit or banners to attract large number of people, people by themselved gather around them, and voluntarily give some amount for their genuine efforts.

The troupe usually hires an Omni for two months to carry sound boxes and mikes from place to place. The troupe members say that they earn  Rs 1000-2000 every day. Haris and Ramla are siblings whose parents are blind by birth.  Ismail hails from the same village as Haris and Ramla. The trio had their early education in the same school for the visually challenged.  There are as many as  50 blind people in their village, they say.

Haris said that they meet once a year and share their struggles. He even sings for weddings and on other special occasions to make his ends meet.