IDUKKI: Cancer survivors’ books on their experiences in their relentless battle against the deadly disease are always inspiring. But here, Adimali-based novelist and short story writer Jose Antony had written a book titled ‘Arbudham,’ even before he was diagnosed with the disease.
Having survived two bouts of cancer after publishing the book, this septuagenarian is now educating people through social media by posting videos on socially relevant issues on how the change in lifestyle and food habits increases the risk of cancer among Keralites. Through the videos, he also shares his experience as a cancer survivor to help patients overcome their agony.
Jose’s father was a settler farmer who migrated to Kallarkutty from Pala in Kottayam. After schooling, Jose came to Kallarkutty in the 1960s. “That time, farming was the main livelihood for residents. However, by the 60s, farmers had started switching over to cash crops from food crops like paddy and tapioca,” he said.
“Though the high ranges of Idukki are an ideal place to grow cash crops like cardamom and pepper, farmers started using pesticides gradually for a better yield and increased production. Due to this, the Bison Valley, a settler village in Idukki, recorded the highest number of cancer patients in Idukki in a survey conducted by the health department in the noughties,” he said.
During that time, Jose came across the real-life story of many cancer patients in Idukki, which prompted him to write the novel ‘Arbudham’ in 2008. In 2009, Jose was diagnosed with throat cancer, and after four harrowing years of treatment, he returned back to writing. Jose wrote several short stories. He has to his credit 20 published novels and over 50 short stories. He also started travelling in 2012.
According to Jose, since books gave way to blogging, tweeting, Facebook and YouTube discussions, the decision to start a YouTube channel was taken in 2021 to spread awareness on social issues affecting people. Within a short time, Jose’s YouTube channel ‘Mountain Views’ received 3.17k subscribers, with each of his videos getting over 70k views weeks after posting them.
As Jose had to undergo two major surgeries for cancer this year, his health condition, however, did not douse his spirit to educate people and spread awareness. ‘The revelations of a Cancer patient’, ‘Who holds the world record in eating poisonous food?’ are some of his widely circulated videos. “My own experiences with cancer taught me that peace and a stress-free life have the power to heal the body more than any medicine,” he said.