Ramesh Shoemaker with shaped wooden lasts at his deteriorating studio-shop. Photo credit- LOkesh Ghai
LOkesh Ghai reflects on the noble vocation of Ramesh Kumar Gangoli, who helps those who could otherwise not walk on this earth.
My relationship with the earth starts with putting my feet on the ground. With this comes the need to negotiate worldly affairs, and sits the shoes in the feet.
Until that evening, I did not know what doctor’s shoes were or that a shoe could be handcrafted for a newborn’s needs. Ramesh Kumar Gangoli, a shoemaker, could not afford his own needs to be on the earth. Due to his meagre earnings, he recently had to give up his ground-floor studio shop on rent and move to a deteriorating brick structure on the first floor. That was the only option to continue with his trade.
Ramesh Shoemaker with his customer. Photo credit: LOkesh Ghai
Ramesh had heard about me from Sanjay Shoemaker and was expecting me. I asked Ramesh how he addressed his customers, most of whom could not climb up to the first floor. “Kabhee-kabhee kue ko bhi pyaase ke pas jana padta hai (sometimes the well has to travel to the thirsty). I go to the ground floor to take the feet measurements.” On average, Ramesh Shoemaker receives two to three customers daily who can’t walk on this earth if it was not for him. Some are born that way. Ramesh handcrafts shoes that an infant is made to wear in sleep, with parents dreaming that their newborn walks this earth. There are also those feet that met an accident or lost a part in an injury. Most of these customers come through word of mouth and are referred by doctors. Many come from remote mountain villages with little means to travel.
Ramesh’s grandfather and father- late shoemakers Ram Prashad and Nathuram Gangoli. Photo credit: LOkesh Ghai
As a service to society, Ramesh shoemaker charges them a nominal price. While there may be alternative facilities for those from a privileged family background, for the rest of the feet, he is their relation to the earth. Crafting such shoes is way more time-consuming and challenging than bespoke shoes for non-defected feet. Ramesh learned the craft of shoemaking from his father Nathu Ram, who learned the craft from his father and used it to make shoes for the British-Indian army. Even Ramesh’s grandmother used to help his grandfather with hand stitching of boots. They made horse riding boots.
Ramesh’s children are not in the trade. As a religious person, Ramesh points to the sky when I ask him what will happen to his customers when he is gone. Ramesh is happy to talk to me. It is the first time someone has appreciated him, who is neither a doctor nor a patient. He feels he has a God gift to help make people walk; this brings him a smile. Ramesh takes pride in showing me his customer’s photo, standing confidently wearing shoes he crafted, thanking him, and wishing him a long life. Unfortunately, so far Ramesh has no aid from the Handicrafts board or any kind of recognition or even anything written about him.
He shows me his register with drawings and the various kinds of wooden last for those suffering from polio, elephant foot and so on. He emphasises that each time he ‘modifies’ the wooden last according to the customer’s feet condition. Ramesh says he was born to do teda-meda-kam—work that is not straightforward and is challenging. While most people can walk straight-forward, for those who can’t, Ramesh is still around to fit them shoes that will aid the walk.
Ramesh Shoemaker showcases the outline of a customer’s distorted and oversized feet. Photo credit: LOkesh Ghai
Comments
This article has thrown light to a very specialised form of craftsmanship.Thankyou Lokesh for researching and compiling this.
Didn’t know such a thing existed. To be a boon in so many people’s lives is incredible.
Beautiful story and proof of the community need for craft