Azad Khan: On the move

Dhanbad, July 2: A polio attack damaged both his limbs when he was eight but failed to kill his spirit to fight back.

Azad Khan, 45, who works as a tailor at the Tata Central Hospital, Jamadoba, is now actively involved in polio eradication campaigns, organising and acting in street plays to create awareness among people.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has lauded the differently abled tailor for his commendable social work. “The person, who was dumped by his own people is getting appreciation from the world,” said Mariam Bibi, Azad’s mother.

“He is a living example that disability of any form cannot affect an enterprising man’s fate,” his mentor and brother-in-law Gulam Rasool Khan added.

Azad is proud of his acting abilities. “I have participated in a number of dramas and street plays — staged under the banner of Bhojpuri Kala Manch — across the district,” said the 45-year-old.

Everything was going on smoothly for the Khans till they discovered that their third son was afflicted with polio. “The sky came crashing down when I got to know that he won’t be able to walk any more,” recounted Mariam Bibi.

But Azad’s father Ramzan, a Tata Steel staff, wasn’t ready to give up. He took the trouble to ensure Azad was able to continue his studies. “He would even carry our son to school on his shoulders,” she said.

But Ramzan’s untimely death forced him to quit studies.

Then, feeding a family of six, his four siblings and mother, was the biggest challenge. “I learnt tailoring and started my own tailoring business to support my family,” Azad said.

“But it was Gulamsahab whose advice changed my life. He asked me to learn cycling as I faced difficulty in moving about from one place to another. I took it as a challenge and learnt riding a bicycle and scooter.”

A school dropout, Azad is now banking on his children to realise his dream of pursuing higher studies. “I have enrolled all my children (three daughters and a son) to a convent school to ensure they get quality education and have a better future,” he said.

Today, Azad is at peace with what he has achieved.

“My job and family responsibilities never came in the way of social service. Polio is our common enemy, so all should contribute in eradicating the menace,” he appealed.