Ramsheed K K’s stall at the Centre Square Mall on MG Road is filled with antiques as old as the Tipu Sultan regime. His coin collection that contains remnants pertaining to both Indian and foreign history and currencies from around 180 countries is also part of the exhibition-cum sale.
Ramsheed’s exhibition is not just about the vanity of these rare pieces, it is also his source of income. When he was around 14 years old, the youngster was diagnosed with problems in his kidney. “I was playing with my friends on the school ground near my home in Nilambur. I fainted abruptly. The local hospital referred me to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode. They found that one of my kidneys had completely shut down and the other one partially. Ever since, I have been under treatment,” says Ramsheed, who started dialysis when he was just 15.
He had to undergo surgery around the same time to set up the device for dialysis on his hand, as his kidneys were barely functional. “My kidney transplantation was in 2017. My neighbours and many good samaritans from Nilambur helped me pay for the surgery. My kidney has been working fine since then,” he says.
Ramsheed’s love for collecting rare items started when he was undergoing dialysis at the hospital three days a week. “I needed something to keep me going, a distraction. I couldn’t play or do anything that required physical exertion. So, I started collecting stamps, and then coins. Later, I joined a club in Nilambur where I met other stamp collectors. The club helped me expand my hobby and get more coins and currencies. They even arranged antiques like those from the Tipu Sultan’s era and from the kingdoms of Travancore for my exhibition,” he says.
Ramsheed initially started his stall to sustain himself. “I wanted to earn money for my treatment. My mother used to look after me till she passed away. Now, I have to be independent. I am also taking a computer course. I will finish it soon and start looking for a job,” he says. But Ramsheed has no plans to put a stop to his hobby or his passion for travelling with his collections. “Now, I need money to treat my second kidney. The medicines alone cost me Rs 8,000 monthly. I need Rs 1.5 lakh to remove the dialysis device from my hand. The donations and revenue I collect from this exhibition will go towards that,” he says.
He has already travelled all over Kerala with his collection — Nilambur, Kozhikode to Kochi. In 2019, he visited Delhi with the antiques. “It was just before the Covid outbreak. During my journeys, I am meeting new people and experiencing different cultures and languages. Now, I am trying to learn Hindi,” Ramsheed says.
Despite his struggles, he chooses to keep looking ahead. “This is my only relief from constantly thinking about my treatment and ailments. I came face to face with death once. Now, I want to focus on living my life to the fullest. The exhibition helps me with that,” says Ramsheed.
Exhibition is on till March 1
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