This musician is struggling to make both ends meet amid pandemic

KOCHI: The pandemic-induced lockdown came down hard on Ismail CM, a 42-year-old musician and owner of a music school at Vaduthala, who is struggling to make both ends meet these days. Forced to shut down his music school, Ismail was deprived of a regular income. Though he tried his luck at selling biriyani during the initial days of the lockdown, the meagre amount he made from it was insufficient to pay his house rent and meet the day-to-day expenses of the four-member family. 

Today, Ismail and family barely get through with the money they make selling homemade cutlets to friends.“We make `300 daily selling cutlets. But it isn’t enough to pay the rent of my house and the music school. Hence, we are forced to depend on the money offered by friends and my music students,” says Ismail. According to him, all this hardship could have been avoided had the government allowed music schools to function by adhering to Covid protocol. 

“Four to five students can be taught in batches in different time slots to prevent crowding. The instruments can also be sanitised before the turn of each student,” says Ismail. The decision of the government to allow gyms and yoga centres to reopen has not gone down well with art institution owners like Ismail, who feel they have been completely ignored. Ismail is planning to undertake a fast in front of his music school on Monday to get the government’s attention. “Since I’m a kidney donor, I have been advised to refrain from fasting. But I have no other option but to take this drastic step to get my voice heard,” he says. Alex P, a guitarist at Ismail’s music school, is another artist whose life has been adversely affected by the pandemic. A father of three, Alex now works at a catering centre.