THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Veteran
businessman
KS Vikraman was cremated on Sunday evening in Punalur. Fondly known as ‘
Stephen Hawking of Kerala
’, he suffered from
motor neuron disease
(MND), a rare condition which affects the brain and nerves.
Vikraman, 63, died on Saturday night at his apartment in Karimanal near Kazhakoottam.
A native of Piravanthur, Punalur, he moved to Ajman, UAE in 1989 and established Al-Alef Printing Press, which eventually became successful.
His second initiative Jayasree Travels and Tours started in 1996 gained widespread recognition in European and Middle Eastern markets.
He later became a business icon winning several awards including the ‘Best Overseas Tour Operator’ prize instituted by the central ministry of tourism, the award for overseas tour operator of the state tourism department and the excellence award of the Global Malayali Council.
In 2010, Vikraman was diagnosed with MND, which damages parts of the nervous system causing weakness in muscles associated with tasks such as movement, speech, breathing and swallowing. Just like the late scientist Stephen Hawking and Dutch footballer Fernando Ricksen, Vikraman was determined that he wouldn’t give into his condition.
The tech-savvy Vikraman learned everything about his disease and purchased medical devices to improve the quality of his life.
Though he travelled to China for acupuncture treatment, he was eventually forced to use equipment for artificial respiration and a wheelchair.
Through a home nurse he came to know about the ‘Tobii eye-tracking device’ – which helps users interact with a computer using their eyes. He had the device installed on the bed of his special ICU room set up in his house and started the second innings of his business life.
A bedridden Vikraman launched his dream project Vivin Luxury Suites in Pattoor in 2012. Through his eye-tracker, he tracked his entire business kingdom.
Hundreds, including business personalities and enthusiasts, paid their tributes when his body was brought to his ancestral home ‘Kunnathu Veettil’ in Punalur on Sunday evening.
He leaves behind wife Vinaja Vikraman and daughters Vijayasree Vikraman and Jayasree Vikraman, and son Sreekanth Vikraman.