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9 in a family of 10 are deaf, mute - Howrah News Service - Latest news and headlines on Howrah and West Bengal
Lucknow, April 4: In a family of 10 members, nine are deaf and dumb since birth.
In Kasmau village in Sultanpur district, they are known as "Goonge-wale ka parivar" and are more famous than anyone else is in the vicinity.
Mr Mohammed Ayub Arshad, 45, heads the family. He is deaf and dumb since birth and works as a barber in the village. His mother Shaira Bano and wife Ajmatul Nisha are also deaf and dumb.
The couple has seven children — five daughters and two sons. The five daughters are Sabreen, Aafreen, Soni, Moni and Yashmi and all of them, like their parents, are deaf and dumb.
Of the two sons, Arbaaz and Zuber, it is only Zuber who can mumble a bit but his speech is unclear. Arbaaz is deaf and dumb since birth.
According to neighbours, Mr Mohammed Ayub Arshad feels that his family is under a curse and refuses to go to a doctor. "We have tried several times to convince him to take his family to a good hospital or doctor but he refuses and believes that it is a curse that is working on the family. Even his extended family has not escaped the ‘curse’ and his wife’s sister has one daughter and three sons who are deaf and dumb. His own brother Zama is deaf and dumb since birth," says Mr Alok Tiwari, a resident of the same village.
Ayub’s family is living in abject poverty and he is the sole breadwinner in the household. "Though most of his children are able-bodied, they cannot go out to work because of their disability. Even Ayub works as a barber from home and does not venture out. His wife is paranoid about leaving the teenaged daughters unprotected at home. Besides, in any case, who is going to give them any work in this condition?" says the neighbour. His children do not go to school simply because there is no school for special and physically challenged children in the area. The family owns one bigha of land but the same now stands mortgaged to a local moneylender.
"They had an Antyodaya card (that entitles them to food grain at highly subsidised rates) but the same was deposited during the panchayat elections and has yet to be returned," says the neighbour.
The local village pradhan or the legislator has never bothered to bring the family’s case before the government and arrange for some help. "They are doing fine. Now almost everyone in the village — whether it is the local grocer or the local staff at the primary health centre — can understand what these deaf and dumb people want to convey. Their sign language has acquired a sot of universal character and Mohammed Ayub even takes part in the informal political discussions between village elders because he can read out lips and make out what we are saying," says Sitasen, the village pradhan.
Mr Mohammed Ayub Arshad, however, has no complaints and says in his sign language that it is all Allah ki marzi (Allah’s desire) and he is content with the plight he is in.
His neighbours, on the other hand, can find something to smile about in the situation. "Like others, this family makes no noise even when the members fight among themselves and we wish others would follow their example and keep the decibels down," says Mr Hari Ram Sharma, his neighbour.
Lucknow, April 4: In a family of 10 members, nine are deaf and dumb since birth.
In Kasmau village in Sultanpur district, they are known as "Goonge-wale ka parivar" and are more famous than anyone else is in the vicinity.
Mr Mohammed Ayub Arshad, 45, heads the family. He is deaf and dumb since birth and works as a barber in the village. His mother Shaira Bano and wife Ajmatul Nisha are also deaf and dumb.
The couple has seven children — five daughters and two sons. The five daughters are Sabreen, Aafreen, Soni, Moni and Yashmi and all of them, like their parents, are deaf and dumb.
Of the two sons, Arbaaz and Zuber, it is only Zuber who can mumble a bit but his speech is unclear. Arbaaz is deaf and dumb since birth.
According to neighbours, Mr Mohammed Ayub Arshad feels that his family is under a curse and refuses to go to a doctor. "We have tried several times to convince him to take his family to a good hospital or doctor but he refuses and believes that it is a curse that is working on the family. Even his extended family has not escaped the ‘curse’ and his wife’s sister has one daughter and three sons who are deaf and dumb. His own brother Zama is deaf and dumb since birth," says Mr Alok Tiwari, a resident of the same village.
Ayub’s family is living in abject poverty and he is the sole breadwinner in the household. "Though most of his children are able-bodied, they cannot go out to work because of their disability. Even Ayub works as a barber from home and does not venture out. His wife is paranoid about leaving the teenaged daughters unprotected at home. Besides, in any case, who is going to give them any work in this condition?" says the neighbour. His children do not go to school simply because there is no school for special and physically challenged children in the area. The family owns one bigha of land but the same now stands mortgaged to a local moneylender.
"They had an Antyodaya card (that entitles them to food grain at highly subsidised rates) but the same was deposited during the panchayat elections and has yet to be returned," says the neighbour.
The local village pradhan or the legislator has never bothered to bring the family’s case before the government and arrange for some help. "They are doing fine. Now almost everyone in the village — whether it is the local grocer or the local staff at the primary health centre — can understand what these deaf and dumb people want to convey. Their sign language has acquired a sot of universal character and Mohammed Ayub even takes part in the informal political discussions between village elders because he can read out lips and make out what we are saying," says Sitasen, the village pradhan.
Mr Mohammed Ayub Arshad, however, has no complaints and says in his sign language that it is all Allah ki marzi (Allah’s desire) and he is content with the plight he is in.
His neighbours, on the other hand, can find something to smile about in the situation. "Like others, this family makes no noise even when the members fight among themselves and we wish others would follow their example and keep the decibels down," says Mr Hari Ram Sharma, his neighbour.
