<p>If you have an eye for happenings on roadside, a mobile canteen opposite Government Printing Press on Kantharaj Urs road in Saraswathipuram may have drawn your attention. A writing on both the sides of the cart- Angavikalara Swayam Udyoga (Physically challenged persons self-employment) beckons many. <br /><br />Muthanna, 38, is the owner-cum-chef of the canteen, he founded three years ago. But, what makes the difference among the ubiquitous stalls is - the maker here is specially abled. Muthanna is physically challenged by birth, with the left portion of his body- from abdomen down paralysed. He is a native of Dhinya village in Raichur district.<br /><br />Filmi-style flashback<br /><br />His story is no different than any potboiler. Muthanna was just 11 when he took a bus to Bangalore in search of a job. Utter penury at home with father Narasappa being a daily wager, had forced the boy to take an adventurous step. Moreover, he had flunked in his school exams. The money he had clandestinely collected came to his rescue in reaching the capital city of the state.<br /><br />As there is a saying- Bangalore is the abode of all, Muthanna too found a new life with a hotelier offering him a measly job as a cleaner. It’s no more a secret that the hoteliers always look for runaway kids at prominent junctions of cities, for labour. <br /><br />That was how Muthanna found a job in a hotel. But, soon enough Muthanna’s fate turned for the worse. A fellow worker lured him of a plum job and also coerced him to quit the job. <br /><br />Muthanna who obviously had fond hopes of seeing some extra bucks in hand, quit the job and collected a hundred or two from the employer. The fellow worker who accompanied him to the bus stand, collected a currency of ` 100 saying that he wil return soon, only to leave him in the lurch. He was left distraught as he had a few rupees left. It could take him only to Mysore. <br /><br />Sets foot in Mysore<br /><br />Muthanna who came to Mysore two decades ago, has made it his second home since then. After working in numerous hotels, he thought of venturing on his own and opened a tea centre opposite Government Printing Press, three years ago. His job starts at 6 am and ends at 8 pm. <br /><br />However, he has a strong aspiration to make it big- at least with a government job, one day. He has unsuccessfully attended three interviews under disabled quota. Still, he is getting ready for another, thanks to his will. For every interview, it costs several hundreds of rupees, he says with mixed feelings. <br /><br />“The doctor at my native gave me a certificate judging my disability as 75 per cent, eligible for pension. But, a doctor here in Mysore contradicts it and says it is only 50 per cent. Whom to believe?” asks Muthanna poignantly. <br /><br />When specially abled are categorised, aiding them with necessary equipment, Muthanna makes a difference taking the job, catering to the customers, single- handedly.</p>
<p>If you have an eye for happenings on roadside, a mobile canteen opposite Government Printing Press on Kantharaj Urs road in Saraswathipuram may have drawn your attention. A writing on both the sides of the cart- Angavikalara Swayam Udyoga (Physically challenged persons self-employment) beckons many. <br /><br />Muthanna, 38, is the owner-cum-chef of the canteen, he founded three years ago. But, what makes the difference among the ubiquitous stalls is - the maker here is specially abled. Muthanna is physically challenged by birth, with the left portion of his body- from abdomen down paralysed. He is a native of Dhinya village in Raichur district.<br /><br />Filmi-style flashback<br /><br />His story is no different than any potboiler. Muthanna was just 11 when he took a bus to Bangalore in search of a job. Utter penury at home with father Narasappa being a daily wager, had forced the boy to take an adventurous step. Moreover, he had flunked in his school exams. The money he had clandestinely collected came to his rescue in reaching the capital city of the state.<br /><br />As there is a saying- Bangalore is the abode of all, Muthanna too found a new life with a hotelier offering him a measly job as a cleaner. It’s no more a secret that the hoteliers always look for runaway kids at prominent junctions of cities, for labour. <br /><br />That was how Muthanna found a job in a hotel. But, soon enough Muthanna’s fate turned for the worse. A fellow worker lured him of a plum job and also coerced him to quit the job. <br /><br />Muthanna who obviously had fond hopes of seeing some extra bucks in hand, quit the job and collected a hundred or two from the employer. The fellow worker who accompanied him to the bus stand, collected a currency of ` 100 saying that he wil return soon, only to leave him in the lurch. He was left distraught as he had a few rupees left. It could take him only to Mysore. <br /><br />Sets foot in Mysore<br /><br />Muthanna who came to Mysore two decades ago, has made it his second home since then. After working in numerous hotels, he thought of venturing on his own and opened a tea centre opposite Government Printing Press, three years ago. His job starts at 6 am and ends at 8 pm. <br /><br />However, he has a strong aspiration to make it big- at least with a government job, one day. He has unsuccessfully attended three interviews under disabled quota. Still, he is getting ready for another, thanks to his will. For every interview, it costs several hundreds of rupees, he says with mixed feelings. <br /><br />“The doctor at my native gave me a certificate judging my disability as 75 per cent, eligible for pension. But, a doctor here in Mysore contradicts it and says it is only 50 per cent. Whom to believe?” asks Muthanna poignantly. <br /><br />When specially abled are categorised, aiding them with necessary equipment, Muthanna makes a difference taking the job, catering to the customers, single- handedly.</p>
