THRISSUR: The Endosulfan menace took away Jeevan Raj’s vision. But he always has a smile on his face and makes others laugh. No wonder, the student from Government HSS, Kasargod, was one of the five who got A grade in mimicry at the Kerala School Youth Festival here on Wednesday. Jeeven didn’t have to look far for inspiration. At last year’s youth festival, his brother Devikiran - another victim blinded by endosulfan - won first prize in classical music.
Jeevan touched the hearts of judges and the audience by flawlessly mimicking various sounds. While he started the act by paying respect to the victims of cyclone Ockhi, he did not forget use the platform to remind the audience about the problems faced by people due to endosulfan. According to Jeevan, it was the people of his native Enmakaje village who encouraged him to dabble in mimicry. As he listened to more sounds and started mimicking, they appreciated his efforts. It was enough to give him the confidence to compete at the youth festival.
Though he participated at last year’s edition in Kannur, he failed to win one of of the top spots. However, he overcame his limitations and managed to grab the attention of the judges this time.