“My name is MD Anwar. For the last 32 years, I’ve worked as a kaan saaf walla, a traditional ear cleaner.
I carry a small toolbox wherever I go. Inside it are fresh cotton, an ear pick, coconut oil, hydrogen solution, and a small torch. These simple tools are my livelihood, but this work needs patience, focus, and responsibility. Before I touch anyone’s ear, I always inspect it carefully with my torch. If I notice a wound or anything unusual, I refuse to continue. No money is worth risking someone’s hearing.
People think this is an easy roadside job, but one careless movement can cause harm. Over the years, my hands have learned to work gently. My job is not just about removing dirt, but giving people relief.
This profession is slowly disappearing now. Clinics are everywhere, people use earphones all day, and nobody seems to have time anymore. Still, I travel from city to city, carrying my toolbox through crowded trains and railway stations. I work in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, wherever people still trust this old skill.
Today, one young man stopped near me while rushing to catch a bus. Even after sitting down, he kept checking his phone.
‘Bhai, do it quickly. My bus is about to leave.’
When I checked his ear with my torch, I could see a thick blockage of wax inside. I told him, ‘This is why you’re getting pain. Your ears are completely blocked.’
I had barely started cleaning when his bus arrived.
‘My bus is here!’
He ran away before I could finish, leaving with the wax still trapped inside his ears while I stayed back on the pavement waiting for the next customer.
That’s city life. Everyone is running somewhere.
When I’m free, I go to theatres to watch Hindi and Telugu movies. For a little while, they help me forget the noise of stations, trains, and everyday tensions.
At my age, I don’t have big ambitions. I just believe that whatever work you do, you should do it honestly. I’m happy with this life and the dignity my work gives me.
Tomorrow, I’ll board another train to another city, carrying my small toolbox, waiting for the next person who finally has the time to hear clearly again.”