Appu My Friend Who Begs No Hands No Legs

It has been over 4 years now I have not seen Appu ,, every time I pass those places where he used to beg at St Michael Church lane or outside Minara Masjid I crane my neck out from the bus or taxi to see if he is there ,,, but sadly I never saw him again .

The first time I met him begging at Chor Bazar close to Bohri Mohalla on Fridays ,, flea market days ,, but though I stopped going to Chorbazar I did go there to check him out ,,, no luck,

Appu was my close friend and was a migrant from Assam.. I miss him.. he was a good sincere man.. he never complained ,..he took his sufferings in his stride ,,

And tonight I have created a video on You Tube of his images as my humble tribute to his memories ,, it is being processed and it is also a tribute to my first granddaughter Marziya Shakir 23 month old who met him at Mahim.. she shot him with her cosmic eye , like me she too remembers him and tells me that she will shoot him.
Marziya is now 8 year old ..

Appu My Friend At Minara Masjid Corner 2012

god gave him
a stump of a
body no hands
no legs on a
cart proudly
he begs ,,

he will never ask
for alms nor will
you ever see
his outstretched
palms he never
fucking complains
cool and calm

these are the
untouchables
of Muslim society
soul of peace
brotherhood of
True Islam
dead living
creatures souls
embalmed

products of an animal farm

No Hands No Legs Appu My Friend

I first met Appu at Chor Bazar he begged a few blocks away near the sweet shop close to Bohri Mohalla . and he sat here on Fridays before Namaz time , with a few Masjids o this road ..I came here those days to the street side Friday Chor Bazar flea market .

Initially when I shot his pictures , his guardians were upset thinking that I would sell his pictures to the foreign press make a lot of money giving them nothing but loose change.

I was hurt and was moving away when Appu called me apologized for his guardians behavior , and I was barefeet looked every inch a Malang.

We became good friends and I met him every Friday , but than he disappeared , and I stopped going to Chor Bazar completely .

I also shot him on Shabbarat night at Rehmatabad Shia cemetery..drenched in the rains ,,,begging with his sister .

i never saw him after this for a very long time ,,,

Than I met him accidentally sitting on the lane at Mahim that leads to St Michael Church , on Novena Wednesday,I gave him Rs 100 and he deserves it ..My friend Glenn Losack loved him the moment he saw him , and I took Marziya Shakir my grand daughter to meet him Marziya was perhaps two year old..shot their pictures .

So Appu has been part of my pictorial genesis , and I refuse to call Appu a beggar .

Appu also used to sit outside Minara Masjid I shot him there too.

I have not met Appu this year he hails from Assam , he wears a Muslim cap and the hard staunch Muslims who like a Muslim to look like a Muslim made him sport a beard too.

And now I have two grand daughters Marziya and Nerjis both want to shoot him .. but I have to find him first ..

Appu my friend

on a flat wheel cart

he sits watching

moving legs that

pass him by

happy and contend

he has no hands

no legs a wretched

torso a broken

tree stump

god sent

he disappears

for long periods

leaving a vacuous

thought my end

i ponder i wonder

my prayers for his

safety i extend

a poem in his

his memory

i have penned

to all my friends

happy weekend