KANNUR: This is the second consecutive time that these three friends hailing from Poonch in Kashmir, who left their homes in search of better education, emerged as winners in Kerala State School Arts Festival. Mehmood Ahmed, Asrar Ahmed and Afshan Hussain bagged first prize in Urdu elocution, poem writing and story writing, respectively.
The three youngsters are studying in Markaz High School at Karanthur in Kozhikode. Urdu competitions, which witness an overwhelming participation, were so easy for these students to win as they have already defeated their destinies. Mehmood left home at the age of 12 owing to the torture from his stepmother.
“My father didn’t believe in education and I had discontinued my studies in primary classes. When I saw a brochure of Markaz high school, I left home and people were ready here to help me,” said Mehmood, a class IX student.
When Mehmood went home for vacation, he explained to his friends about the available facilities in Kerala. They didn’t have a second thought as Afshan, an orphan and Asrar followed him to Kerala. It was agreed by the school management to bear their educational expenses too. “This arts festival really amazes as we don’t even get proper education in Kashmir,” said Asrar.
Three of them thanked their Urdu teacher, PKC Mohammed, who gave them books and trained them for the competition. Also, they are planning to make a video on arts festival to show their friends in Kashmir. “It is, indeed, God’s Own Country’ as here you have peace and unity,” smiles Mehmood.