Manjeri: Ummer of Pullara in Vaalancherry, carries with him five decades of memories in the world of newspaper distribution. Beginning his journey at just 16, he continues this labour of love even at 67. More than a profession, he distribution of newspapers also serve as daily source of energy and purpose for him.

Ummer’s day begins at 3 AM. His journey into newspaper distribution began as a paperboy for a neighbour. At that time, a newspaper cost just six paise, a price that gradually rose by two paise at a time. By the time he opened his own newspaper distribution agency, the price had reached 25 paise. The newspapers for distribution were entrusted to people under his agency.

For distributing 35 newspapers, Ummer earned just Rs.1. To make ends meet, he also worked as a casual labourer, earning another Rs.3. Ummer says it was his stubbornness in the face of the agency’s refusal to raise his wages despite the growing number of newspapers for distribution, which prompted him to start his own agency.

He began by subscribing to an agency for the Chandrika newspaper. It was Indian Union Muslim League leader C H Muhammad Koya who helped him with the money needed to subscribe the agency. Ummer recounts meeting CH while returning from Kozhikode with his brother, unable to arrange the deposit for the subscription. Koya stepped in and gave him the required amount.

Over time, Ummer became the agent for several other newspapers and managed up to six distributors under him. He also ran agencies for popular magazines, which enjoyed massive readership at the time.

When the number of subscribers in one area was sufficient, a distributor would be assigned charge of the regio, and Ummer would shift his focus to finding new subscribers in other areas. He recalls those days as the golden era of print publications. Of his three children, two have now taken up his profession.