Mysuru: Cancer fails to stop youth from becoming successful farmer

Mysuru: Deadly cancer may have left this 22-year-old without his right leg, but his positive attitude, and the inspiration he has obtained from success stories he has read of physically challenged on the internet, has made him face life with fortitude. On the International Day of Persons with Disability on Thursday, the success story of Mahendra from Kappasoge in Nanjangud taluk in Mysuru district is apt to be documented.

At a time when most youth are turning away from farming and villages and the grim reality of farmer suicides and his own handicap have not stopped this cancer survivor from becoming a successful farmer.

Life was all hunky dory for Mahendra, son of Marappa and Manjula, until January 2017. A tumor which appeared in his right leg, turned out to be cancer. Treatment including chemotherapy did little good. And it was in May 2017, that doctors had to amputate his right leg up to the hip joint. He had to spend long days lying on bed, at hospital during treatment and at home during convalescence. It's at that time, his mobile phone opened new vistas as he had read about the success stories of physically challenged. These stores, besides such success stories he had heard ever since childhood and his own positive attitude boosted his morale. He even kept his parents cheerful as they were distressed over their only son's plight and the responsibility of performing the marriage of their daughter looming large. Mahendra who had completed first-year PUC, before being diagnosed with cancer, decided to pursue his passion -- farming.

Walking with the help of crutches, he supervised workers to till 2.5 acres of land belonging to his father and uncle, which they had leased to a relative. He took 1.25 acres of land on lease and started farming on his own. Never the one to flinch from hard toil, Mahendra girded his lions up and worked in the fields along with workers. He took over the 2.25 acres of land soon after lease expired by using the money he earned from the yield from 1.25 acres of land. He got a bore-well drilled in the land. Buoyed by his success, the youth has taken three acres more to expand his farming activity and even got drip irrigation. He grows water melon, tomato, brinjal, beans and he has even taken up floriculture and dairy farming as well.

During Covid-19 lockdown in March, though he could not transport watermelon he managed to withstand losses by selling chilli which he raised as part of mixed farming.

Sharing his success manthra with The Hans India, Mahendra said, "Those like me should not be worried by what others think of us. We should only take positive feedback and ignore the negative and focus on what we should do."

Mahendra has made every possible effort to get an artificial leg, but since his leg is amputated right up to the hip joint, it has been difficult for him to get the one suitable for him. He is still looking for advanced technologies which can help him.