COIMBATORE: “Do not take any risks,” has been a recurring utterance directed at Suresh Kumar. Despite the many perils associated with electrical repair work, the visually-impaired 32-year-old has been handling home appliances as well as professional power tools with ease and precision for over a decade now, having moved up the ladder enough to own his own repair shop, Mari Electricals in Kavundampalayam.
Due to personal issues, Suresh quit schooling during Class 5. At age 6, he lost his vision completely due to brain fever. This set of circumstances would embitter anyone, but not Suresh. His search for new ways of living opened up a very keen interest in electrical and mechanical works; as a child, he went on to open up a radio and figure out its insides (the various components) just by touch and sound. Unfortunately, in a more upsetting turn of events, Suresh’s father Kanagasundaram soon passed away. With his mother battling mental illness, Suresh and his five siblings had run into a wall. Suresh was cornered into turning his lingering passion into a profession, to be able to support his family.
Suresh then decided to learn repair work, but one question remained: who would hire a disabled abled man, even as an apprentice, at such a delicate and risky workplace? Krishnamurthy, that’s who. The man who owned a repair shop at Saravanampatti initially hired Suresh only as a receptionist who would receive the faulty appliance from the customer and note down their details. Later on, Krishnamurthy, witnessing Suresh’s interest and skill in handling appliances, decided to teach him the tricks of the trade.
Suresh Kumar’s journey as a repairman started with fixing ceiling fans, then he moved on to heavier machines such as refrigerators, washing machines, grinders, and more. After working with Krishnamurthy for four years, Suresh went to work at a different shop on Sathy Road, owned by Manikandan, who taught him all about servicing industrial power tools used in construction sites. After working there for six years, in 2023, Suresh set up his own shop in Kavundampalayam.
“My elder sister Revathy provided the advance and three months’ rent for the shop. It has been six months since I opened the place and it has been smooth sailing so far. My friends, Vinoth and Columbus, come and help me out with more complex services such as soldering and wiring circuit boards,” says Suresh. He confidently calls to private companies and the public to trust him and hand him their faulty appliances for repair.
Some months ago, Suresh was allotted a free house patta by the state government. But so far, he has not actually gotten any house or any updates on it. Moreover, he has also requested the government to exempt him from paying the beneficiary amount for the free patta, considering his condition.
Vinoth says he was shell-shocked the first time he saw his friend engaged in repair work. “Suresh is one of a kind. People say that he cannot see, but only a few are truly able to identify the potential and talent he possesses. I became friends with him when he was working at the shop on Sathy Road. I saw him repairing power tools by only touching and feeling them. I was more than impressed,” says Vinoth.
“Although Suresh deals with even hefty electrical appliances with ease, he has a hard time identifying currency notes. He sometimes gets cheated this way. It would be really helpful if concerned officials could help him find a way to identify notes,” he adds. His dream is to train other disabled individuals so that they can create livelihoods and a better future for themselves.
(Edited by Suriya B)