A silent world that resounds with his inventions
There’s a peculiar looking bicycle parked outside the office. A piece of paper attached to its rear reads – “Built by a deaf-mute!” As a crowd gathers around Yasapala Ramachandra, the proud inventor of the home-made motor-powered bicycle comes forward, picks up a pen and paper and writes his name in beautiful flowing letters.
With little recognition for his inventions, Yasapala leads a hand-to mouth existence
Our conversation is carried out in writing and Yasapala, 56, unfolds his story in perfect English. This unannounced visit was not his first to our office. When last here –13 years ago- he had come to give the news of a self-made battery powered model helicopter. It flew, hovering in mid-air at times! Sadly due to the prevailing security situation at that time, his plans to popularise the flying device did not materialise.
Yasapala’s home-made contraption was made out of a 12 V battery, rigifoam, cheap rubber and PVC pipes. It required a great deal of precision to make it fly, and he gained the know-how to make it by reading flight magazines. Yasapala writes all this down on the paper, and slowly turns our gaze towards his motor-powered bicycle. He needs help, it is clear.
He jump-starts the motor using a frayed piece of rope and does a few spins in front of us. He lets us know us that it was a tiring journey from Athurugiriya as he makes a gesture and wipes imaginary sweat from his brow. The bicycle is essentially fitted with the motor of a grass-cutter machine and the chains are powered by its rotation. It would seem a basic feat for an ordinary technician, but the fact that Yasapala is deaf and dumb and entirely self-taught in putting together such apparatus together is quite amazing.
The excellent English is mainly thanks to the little time he spent at St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf at Ragama – before his family turned a blind-eye on him. Ever since, Yasapala had been doing minor jobs at the Dockyard, and at Railway Services but now cuts grass to earn a living.
At his dilapidated little house at Jayanthi Road, Athurugiriya, old magazines are scattered all around along with propeller blades and bits of various electrical equipment. He points out one magazine from the 60’s depicting illustrations of the ‘Froebe’ helicopter –Canada’s first helicopter- developed by the Froebe brothers in 1930. “I learnt to make the model helicopter by studying the illustrations,” he writes. The initial model was shipped off to America with the help of a friend in the hope that the magazine would respond. No such response was forthcoming, and now all he has are a few old photos and an article to show for it. He mentions that he can recreate the helicopter model and develop the motor-powered bicycle -even on a commercial level- if given the right equipment and raw material.
Yasapala unfolds his story in perfect English. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Yasapala’s creations however have not had any official seal of approval. He had tried on occasions to contact the Ministry of Science and Technology via letter, but has had no reply. He had eventually written to the Air International Magazine, and had got a reply from its editor, Mark Ayton, who had congratulated Yasapala on his creations but said there is nothing that he could do to help.
He leads a hand to mouth existence, as his meagre earnings fail to bring him enough for even one square meal on certain days. He hopes there are people out there who can sponsor him to develop his inventions. But his biggest desire is to be accepted and acknowledged by society for his skills.
He is all smiles as he takes the bicycle for one last spin and poses for a photo. At times, he struggles to make us understand what he wants and makes elaborate gestures – making us realize the value of the spoken word we usually take for granted. Yasapala maybe deaf but he’s determined to make us all lend an ear to his abilities.
Yasapala can be contacted at 5th Lane, Jayanthi Road, Athurugiriya.
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