A bright student lives on Kerala's streets, excluded from all government welfare schemes

Thrissur (Kerala): This bright student and his mother fall outside the ambit of all government welfare schemes. They have no house, no ration card or no steady income. Yet, teachers at the Joseph Mundassery Memorial Government Higher Secondary School in Kandassankadavu attest that Vishal is an exceptionally smart student.

Mother Saritha (32) and her son sleep on the verandah of a toilet block built by the Cochin Devaswom Board near the Triprayar Sree Rama Swami Temple. Saying that he studies by candlelight is no metaphor.

Saritha’s sole income comes from selling lemongrass oil door-to-door. On days when nothing is sold, Vishal and his mother go hungry. Rising early in the morning, they wash and bathe at the Triprayar temple pond. He has just two sets of uniforms. Adorned with a sandal paste mark on his forehead and a smiling face, he sets off for school.

He never lets anyone know about his hunger or his sleeping on the streets. He focuses on studying and excelling. Vishal comes from a nomadic family. Until last year, they had the protection of his father, Shiva. However, Shiva was murdered during a dispute in Chowwannur. Vishal and his mother do not even know what became of the police case. He also has two younger sisters studying in classes four and seven who reside in an orphanage in Thrissur town.