Very tall man too tall for a job

It was a police officer who spotted Gattaiah and brought it to the notice of the media in 1992. Gattaiah was soon a national headline in many a paper. The Andhra Pradesh government made arrangements for Gattahiah to be treated at the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) in Hyderabad.

Doctors performed surgery on his brain to detect abnormal growth. After it was found that a defect in his thumbnail had resulted in the rapid growth of certain body parts, the doctors even removed his thumb nail.

Gattahiah enjoyed his 15 seconds of fame. People got their pictures clicked with him and he was even used as an election prop by a former Telugu Desam MP L. Ramana some years ago. The TDP leader took up with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu the issue of providing employment to Gattaiah. Though the Chief Minister promised him a job, nothing happened. B.R. Meena, the district collector, also promised him a house and agricultural land but he got neither.

Over the years, the financial position of Gattaiah’s parents has worsened, and both of them are now seriously ill. When he was 18, Gattaiah weighed 115 kgs and easily consumed one kg of rice for lunch. As the parents were unable to earn enough to feed him, Gattaiah was forced to kill his appetite. He now weighs 89 kg.

His married sister, who stays in the FCI colony at Godavarikhani, supports both Gattaiah and the parents. “Because of poverty, I did not have enough food to eat. Now, I don’t even feel like eating. Many people get support from the government but I haven’t received any help,” says Gattiah, India’s tallest man.