Bicyclist finds life 'chained' in poverty

Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Dec 29 (UNI) The chain of events in his life may not be crisp enough for a tabloid story but certainly they attempt to awaken the collective consciouness of the people for talented persons who find it difficult to get their due place under the sun.

The case of Md Ismail, a resident of the non-descript Farid Babanagar Village at Karagraharam near here, who has a knack for riding a bicycle without a chain, is one such example.

He can clock five to six kms on his cycle and the feats have been witnessed by many people including the then Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

But Ismail is shackled by chains of poverty. The 32-year-old photographer, his wife and five children are starving and they do not have a roof over their head.

This is despite a number of awards he had won including the Collector's Award during the Republic Day celebrations here.

They all stand as a mute spectator to the grinding poverty faced by his family.

Ismail's tryst with the Guinness Book of World Records is equally disappointing.

The Guinness authorities refused an entry as there were no comparable feats ever performed in the world.

His dream now in tatters, a sad Ismail is asking the government to provide him with employment and a 'pucca' house to help them lead a decent life.

For someone who can ride a bicycle without the crucial chain, it may well be some time before life takes the turn for the better.

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