KALPETTA: For many, a radio is just an old-fashioned gadget, but for Basheer — better known as ‘Radio Basheer’ — it is a lifeline of hope. The 44-year-old from Karakkuni, Wayanad, has made it his mission to distribute radios to those who need them the most — bedridden patients, elderly people, and residents of charitable institutions.
Basheer’s journey with radios began with his own experience of hardship. A daily wage labourer, he was forced into a long battle with illness after undergoing multiple surgeries following an appendicitis operation in 2015. Bedridden for nearly five years, he found unexpected relief in FM radio on his mobile phone.
“Those days were incredibly tough, but the radio kept me connected to the world. It became my companion in solitude,” he recalls. During this period, Basheer’s story resonated with many through Radio Mattoli, a community station in Wayanad. Struggling to find work after his recovery, he set up a small grocery shop near his home with support from family and friends. It was then that he decided to pass on the gift of companionship that had once comforted him.
With the small savings he had initially set aside for an Umrah pilgrimage, Basheer purchased his first three radios by selling vegetables from his garden. Over time, as word of his mission spread, well-wishers stepped in, donating radios and funds to support his cause. “I only bought three radios with my own money. The rest came from kind-hearted people,” he says.
His inspiration came from a realisation he had while he was hospitalised. “Many people came forward to provide food, clothes, and shelter to patients, but mental health support was often overlooked. For me, the radio was a lifeline as it helped me cope with those dark days,” he explains. Using social media, Basheer continues to find sponsors for his initiative, ensuring that more people receive the comfort of a radio.
Recently, his efforts received a significant boost when the NCC unit of Assumption High School took inspiration from his story. As part of their 2024-25 voluntary activities, the students launched ‘Sangeetha Swanthana Theeram’ (Musical Shore of Solace), donating 20 radios to bedridden patients in Wayanad.
The initiative, aimed at instilling social responsibility in cadets, was backed by teachers, parents, and non-teaching staff. The radios were later handed over to the Bathery Palliative Care Unit, further extending the reach of Basheer’s mission.
So far, through various contributions, a total of 415 radios have found their way to those in need. At an event marking this milestone, key figures including the school’s headmaster Binu Thomas, highlighted the importance of such humanitarian efforts.