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kamal

kamal
bhamore , madhya
pradesh

Kamal Bhamore (29), wearing a greenish-blue full-sleeved shirt, stands against a wall painted the same colour as his shirt. He has short black hair and a handlebar moustache and he is smiling broadly. He is holding up a framed photo which shows former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam accepting a large bouquet from Kamal when he was a small boy. Several other men surround the two of them. Hanging on the wall are two plain calendars – a small one over a large one – and a mirror which reflects steel glasses and plates on a shelf on the opposite wall.
Kamal, wearing a full-sleeved shirt and navy blue pants, sits cross-legged on a mosaic floor. His checked shirt has crisscrossing red and green lines against a white background. There is a wooden chessboard in front of him with the black and white pieces laid out, and his fingers are on the white pieces. There is a crimson fridge behind him and the wall is greenish-blue.
Kamal sits in a faded brown plastic chair in front of a desktop computer in a room with greenish-blue walls. His hands are on the keyboard. He wears a full-sleeved shirt with tiny greenish-grey and white crisscrossing checks.
Kamal, wearing navy-blue pants and full-sleeved shirt with tiny greenish-grey checks, is relaxing on a bed and holding up his mobile phone with both hands. The bedsheet has grey and white checks against a blue background. The walls are greenish-blue.
Kamal sits with his parents on a bed in a room with greenish-blue walls. From left to right: father Phoolchand (60), Kamal and mother Sharda (59). Phoolchand wears a full-sleeved sky-blue shirt and grey trousers. Kamal wears navy-blue pants and full-sleeved shirt with tiny greenish-grey checks. Sharda wears a red blouse and yellow sari printed with red flowers. Her sari pallu is draped over her head and she wears specs. A rectangular clock hangs on the wall behind them. A coir clothes-line is stretched along the wall. At the right end of the line, two pairs of dark coloured pants are draped inside-out. At the left end, a large black synthetic bag hangs by its strap.
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“I want to become a civil servant so that I can ensure last-mile execution of all government schemes”

Life bowled a googly at Kamal Bhamore when he totally lost his eyesight as a toddler following a chickenpox attack. But this 29-year-old today finds himself a state-level, blind cricket player representing Madhya Pradesh. He recently was a part of the team that went to Goa to play. His idol is Mahendra Singh Dhoni whom he admires for leadership style, temperament and talent. Kamal likes to travel and cricket aids that. He has travelled to Sikkim, Goa and some other places outside of his native Bhopal. He is also a keen chess player.
 
Kamal himself is a picture of confidence, with effusive optimism and zero bitterness. He is a B.A. Honours in Political Science. He went to the prestigious Scholars Home Public School and then to the Institute for Excellence in Higher Education for his college education, using audio textbooks and scribes to help him write the exams. He is now preparing to crack the tough Civil Services exams through online coaching. This stems from his conviction to take all the government welfare schemes to the last mile.
 
Kamal grew up in Bhopal in a modest household. His father Phoolchand (60) is a mason who labours at construction sites. His mother Sharda (59) works as a cook in a household. His older brother, who was a small business owner (paan and grocery shop), died of a brain tumour in 2007. His sister-in-law, who lives with them, takes care of the household and is a tailor as well. Kamal’s sister is married and also lives in Bhopal.
 
Kamal is a recruitment manager in the HR department of Magnum Group, a large BPO organisation with presence in Bhopal, Ranchi and other places. He commutes to work with a friend who owns a motorcycle and shares the running expenses of the vehicle. Naturally gregarious, he has a wide network of friends both at work and outside.
 
Besides cricket and chess, his hobbies include fiction, which he listens through audiobooks. He likes history as a subject because “it teaches you valuable lessons”.
 
Arushi, a Bhopal-based NGO, had brought out the Braille version of the late President Abdul Kalam’s autobiography, “Wings of Fire”, which was released by the author himself. Lyricist Gulzar had written an abridged (78-page) Hindi translation, titled “Parwaaz”, which was brought out as an audiobook. Kamal, who was 10 at the time, and his 11-year-old classmate, Rajendra Dhurve, took over three months to type “Parwaaz”_ _in Braille and Arushi published it. Kamal proudly recalls having been invited for the book launch and his visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. A framed photo of him with the President hangs in his house. Needless to say, it was an unforgettable experience.
 
Kamal sees himself as a risktaker. His advice: sections of society will ignore you and would not want to deal with you. You should ignore them as well. “But there are those who take to you too. Make friends there. Never let your morale be impacted by those who don’t care or don’t know how to deal with you. Pursue your dreams and follow your heart. In the process you will need to take risks and try new things.”
 
His food choices are simple – dal chawal and chicken. He loves gulab jamun. He wishes to get married in the near future and would like his partner to have at least partial vision so that she will be better equipped to help him navigate. “When I get married, I will invite you. Please do come,” he told us.
 

Photos:

Vicky Roy

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