Manoj Kumar is 24 years old and hails from Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district. He is also visually impaired since birth but does not stop him from having hope. He had an idea of making candles to earn a living after his father could not find work easily due to the COVID pandemic, according to a TNN report.?
Manoj is from the village of Majherna in Tahseel Baijnath of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district and studies in Chandigarh. When the lockdown came into force, he was stranded at home with his father Subhash Chand, mother Bina Devi and elder sister Anu, who also cannot see since birth.?
Subhash is 62 and worked as a labourer before the pandemic hit. He could not get any work after the restrictions were relaxed.?
"Thekedaar ke paas mazdoor pure ho gye. Do-tin jagah kaam kiya. Jab paise lene gaye toh kahin se aadhe mile, kahin se mile hi nahi,"?(Contractor didn't need more labourers. I was able to find work at a couple of places. When I went to take money, they gave either half of it or nothing at all) he said while speaking to Times Now.?
"Mai haath nahi failana chahta. Bachhe bolte hain sookhi roti kha lenge, bheekh nahi mangenge," (I don't want to beg. My children tell me that we will dry roti, but we will not beg) he added.?
Then Manoj came up with the idea to make candles. With the festive season looming large, he felt by selling candles he could help his family get by in the tough times. Manoj knew how to make them.?
"Kaha se saman lena hai kaha se kya karna, samajh nahi aa raha tha,"(We didn't know how and where to arrange the raw materials from) Subhash went on to say.?
Manoj contacted friends to provide candle-making moulds that came from Delhi. Many helpful souls came out to help the family by funding 2 candle-making moulds.?
"Mom nahi mil raha tha. Kam reh gaya tha. Laga samasya khadi ho jaayegi. Jalandhar se mangwaya. Kuch Chandigarh se,"?(Wax wasn't available in the market and our stock was exhausting. It would have posed a problem to continue making candles. We arranged it from Jalandhar and Chandigarh) said Subhash.?
"Shuru me tin-chaar din dikkat aaya. Kaam naya tha," ( Initially, there was a problem for 3-three-four days. The work was new) he added.?
Such people deserve support from others and those in authority. This family, thanks to the initiative of their youngest member, is now fighting the odds. Even in the face of adversity, Manoj is resolute to do his job well.???