This story is part of a series on the everyday heroes of Belagavi.
Visually impaired by birth Sashikala and Rahul are the best of buddies who venture out together to make a living by selling Agarbatti, Phenyle.
Both have completed their PUC II and currently stay in a rented home in Ganeshpur.
Rahul is originally from Nanded and Sashikala is from Raichur.
Both are not tired of selling the Agarbatti, Phenyle they hold in stock. They greet each one with a huge big smile and ask if they want to buy.
Most of them say ‘No’, but they are not disheartened. They move ahead to the next shop or home and try to sell. They speak fluent Kannada and know the products they are selling very well.
They stay in a rented home in Ganeshpur Belagavi where they have to pay 3500 as rent and they somehow manage to earn around 4000 by selling the goods and living hand to mouth.
Both met each other in Delhi 8 months back, they said smiling.
What’s the point of education, if people don’t respect us? says Rahul. We want to earn a decent living on our own.
They plan to marry but a shortage of funds is making them worry.
But Sashikala said, we are blind, but we are able to do our day to work on our own. We are sort of independent but if we get some support we can live a decorous life.
Contact No: 9632992405Â
with inputs from Mukul & Deepak.Â
Sad Indeed !! However let the local people (Citizens of Belagavi) encourage such Visually Impaired people…….