Mumbai: Vegetable vendor sings for girl child adoption

When Surat resident Arun Kumar Nikam was not selling vegetables in his teens or early youth he spent his time writing and crooning songs The veggie vendor who set up a stall in Suratrsquos vegetable market has released a Hindi song dedicated to girl child adoption online The song called lsquoO Paparsquo was released online on October 3 and is available on YouTubeThe songSaid Nikam 36 of his song ldquoI work as a vegetable seller but my passion is writing I have written the lyrics for several songs and the latest is for the cause of adoption of girls I think this is truly worthy giving a little girl a home and the joy of having parents a familyrdquo Nikam said ldquoStatistics show that of 11 million abandoned children in India 90 per cent are girls When I heard this I wanted to make a difference This song lsquoO Paparsquo are my feelings in melodious form as music has no bordersrdquoArun Kumar Nikam selling veggies in SuratSome of the lyrics of the song go lsquoWhat is our relationship I do not knowhellipyou called me papa and I was moved yet bewilderedhelliprdquo The video features a young man rescuing an abandoned female infant from a stationary rickshaw one monsoon night and handing her over to a home for adoption She is now a little girl and he visits her occasionally sponsors her and when he arrives at the home she runs to him and calls him paparsquoLife storyNikam should know about adversity and opportunities The vendor has an extraordinary life story with its roots in Jalgaon Maharashtra He was born to farmers ldquoThough we did have the basics like a roof over our head food I did not have an education in Jalgaon I was sent to my maternal grandparentsrsquo place in Surat when I was four years old I eventually started going to school in Surat and when I was a teenager post school I used to sell vegetables on the street Greens potatoes onions beans I sold all bhaaji Morning was for studies and afternoon evenings it was veggie vending timerdquo Nikam explainedMounds of veggies though did not bury a childhood dream that of writing and singing Nikam smiled as he recalled ldquoI balanced my week of studies and selling vegetables with weekends dedicated to honing my writing and singing I used to write lyrics for the songs I would singrdquoNikamrsquos classmates goodnaturedly called him lsquoSonu Nigamrsquo and lsquoKumar Sanursquo Nikam laughed as he said ldquoI could not draw in those crowds like those artistes can but I used to have a small crowd gathered on weekends on the schoolrsquos empty terrace where I would sing give performances feeding off the enthusiasm and applause of the compact crowdrdquoLife lessonsNot academically inclined and determined to make it in the music world the vendor started making trips from Surat to Mumbai ldquofrom a very young age early teens in fact I used to bring vegetables to the city to sell them I then started meeting some persons associated with the music industryrdquo He got a break online just five years ago ldquoHe had a debut project lsquoWaah Teri Bewafairsquo after which came a project called lsquoKaise Miloon Mainrsquo and lsquoDil Se Hai Salaamrsquo The vegetable seller from Surat had truly found his lsquovoicersquo and a small audienceNikam stated ldquoI may not have had formal education but my classroom was life I learnt through the trade on the streets I saw different people I saw the psychology dreams desires and even despair I poured that into my songs I felt the pulse of the people from the desperation of a star struck fan to saluting warriors in COVID19 I stuck to topics that resonated with peoplerdquoThe messageHis latest song O Papardquo released online by his company called lsquoAny choice Filmsrsquo Nikam said ldquo ldquois a testament to believing in yourself and not giving up My path from a vegetable vendor to a singerwriter and advocate for girl child adoption is proof that perseverance can lead to positive change no matter your beginningrdquoTalking about beginnings Nikam insisted he stays true to where it all started for him ldquoselling vegetables in Suratrdquo he said with a smile ldquoThough I am financially stable now I still sell veggies often loading them in a truck from Surat and me arriving in a train to Mumbai picking them up and going to my loyal customersrsquo homes to deliver them in this city These are the persons who know my lifersquos trajectory they still order veggies from merdquoThe writer states philosophically ldquoThe humble okra aubergine the once pricey tomato and staples like onions and potatoes keep me grounded There is a lesson there too sprout wings and fly high but never forget the runway or where you had taken off fromrdquo