Auto driver ekes out living despite an injured spine

Mangaluru: Life had almost come to a standstill, when 40-year-old Subhash, from Akash Bhavan, met with an accident and suffered an injury to his spinal cord, in June 2018. He was bedridden for nearly three years, but the financial commitments, especially the fear of losing his house, forced him to start earning again. Though the lower half of his body is paralysed, he has modified an electric autorickshaw, that his brother purchased for him, to suit his needs.
Subhash said, “Sitting idle for nearly three years is definitely a pain, especially when you have financial commitments, and the fear of losing your house, as well as the guilt and burden that the family has to suffer because of you.”
Earlier, Subhash worked as a truck driver, and when he met with an accident at Kushtagi, he claimed that he did not suffer any external injuries. However, from that day onwards, he has not been able to walk, he said. Prior to that, for six years, Subhash worked in Saudi Arabia, at a rig, and returned in 2008, after he lost his father Aiyappa K. He faced severe losses, after he bought a tipper truck, he said.
“I realised that getting back to normal living may not be possible after the accident. But this does not mean that I will not be able to do anything for a living. I first tried riding a three-wheeler scooter, but had problems with it. My mother Subhadra, a cardiac patient, is worried about my future. Then my brother decided to invest in an electric autorickshaw,” said Subhash, who has two elder brothers, and a younger one.
“My sister-in-law Rama helps me sit in the autorickshaw, from the wheelchair every day. My day begins at 6.30am and I return home around 1pm for lunch. A few passengers regularly travel in my autorickshaw to office. I leave the autorickshaw for charging, and again leave home at 4.30pm, and return by 9pm. I never realised that I have been an inspiration to many. People who have remained bedridden for more than five years, have reached out to me, asking how this has been possible. My family is also assured, that despite being physically challenged, I am earning a living,” he said.