Law student sells his paintings to fund cancer treatment of college tea seller’s family

KOCHI: A second-year law student of Ernakulam Law College, Achyuth Shenai, painted forty paintings to fund the cancer treatment of the college tea seller’s family. The tea seller, Subbaiya’s wife is suffering from cancer and all the amount from Achyuth’s paintings will go to fund her cancer treatment.

Tamil Nadu native and fifty-eight-year-old Subbaiya arrives every day on his cycle to sell tea at the Law College. He has been selling tea at the campus for the past forty years and has become part of the institution. Many prominent state and central officials, lawyers, and judges, including Justice Devan Ramachandran and Bechu Kurian, have tasted the tea that Subbaiya brings to college every day.

Many famous personalities who have passed out from college have helped him. The operation itself cost Rs.6 lakhs. The main challenge is the post-treatment. Subbaiya’s children are also into tea selling.

The management of the college canteen gave Subbaiya a temporary job after hearing of his plight. This is when Achyuth came to know about it.

Achyuth Shenai, just like his father Dinesh Shenai, loves to paint and he began painting for Subbaiya’s cause. His father and family members also supported the law student in his cause.

He drew forty paintings and wanted to host an exhibition of the paintings. Hearing of this, the college principal allowed the exhibition at the college campus.

Forty acrylic paintings are now on exhibition at the Law College for seven days. The base price is Rs.2000. Those who are coming to buy the paintings pay more than that after hearing of the good cause behind the exhibition. Already eight paintings have been sold out.

During the 2018 floods, Achyuth raised Rs.10,000 after drawing live paintings at the camp arranged by Lalitha Kala Academy. He had donated the amount to the government’s disaster fund. His father Dinesh Shenai draws live paintings in front of historical monuments and sells them to onlookers.