THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “We are like CCTVs,” they say. But at six feet and more, they tower above, like hawks, with an expansive field of vision that can even put to shame the CCTV. They are literally the ‘towering residents’ in the state and were in the city to announce the launch of a family collective of the tall men in Thiruvananthapuram.
Titled ‘Tall Men Club’, it is exclusively for those towering 6ft and above and it has been envisaged as a body to encompass the family members of tall men. The club, which has branches in Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Kozhikode is soon set to make its presence in the city on Saturday.
Their height is a blessing in many aspects. Dusting the fan, changing the lights are all just an arms length away for them. Their stature even commands respect. But finding a partner, travelling, getting the right-fitting shoes and garments and even comfortably resting in a hospital bed continue to be their woes even now. “We are proud of our height. But there are many areas where the government can help us. For instance, they can easily formulate a task force of people like us who can be used for various services,” says Tallman Shibu, who is 6.7 ft.
Capitalising on their height, these men launched ‘The Tall Men Executive Force’ a few years ago which is involved in crowd and vehicle management during VIP meets, functions, parties and so forth. At present, the city unit of the task force has 15 tall members who are being roped in to manage the crowd in various auditoriums and even during college functions. “Our advantage is that we needn’t resort to any violent measures to manage the crowd. Our height helps us scan the area well and the stature automatically intimidates people. All we need to do is talk to them and they just fall in line,” says Daison K Kallely. “The proportion is two tall men like us for a crowd of 1,000,” Shibu chips in.
Those at a height of 6ft and above can join the tribe and render their services. In all, 300 tall men figure in the force in Kerala. The womenfolk aren’t far behind. With 15 members, the tall women in Kerala have a force of their own where they are involved in crowd management. “Apart from crowd management in functions, there are certain programmes where men cannot engage in. We step in there as well,” says Anju Shibu, who heads the women force.
The Thiruvananthapuram unit of the club will be launched at 4 pm in All Seasons Guest House. Those who wish to join the club can contact 9946562828