Third Indian with maximum fingers, toes sets sight on Guinness

Shillong, Nov 13 (PTI) India could eye a hattrick in the
Guinness Book of World Records with a man from Meghalaya vying
for a place in it with the maximum number of fingers and toes.

If Tammiki Passah of Jowai in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills
district, blessed with 12 toes and 13 fingers, does make it to
the book, he will be in the company of two other Indians who
now share the honour.

Tammiki told P.T.I. that he had contacted the Guinness
Book authorities and the process was on.

He said that the word 'Tammiki' in Pnar dialect means to
surpass everybody.

When he was just nine years old, Tammiki suffered from
typhoid which left him with a deformity as he could barely see
with his eyes, his family members said.

Thirty-year-old Tam, as he is popularly known, also has
another challenge in that he is overweight and walks at a very
slow pace. But these handicaps did not stop Tam from living
like a 'man'.

He said he discontinued his schooling when he was in
Class III and since then started earning his livelihood by
carrying his basket all over the town to sell chow. To eke a
living, he also tried his hand at selling ice cream, but even
that did not give him what he wanted.

Now, Tam is a newspaper hawker who is known by almost
everyone in Jowai town. Interestingly, although he can barely
see, he can recognise different coins and currencies by simply
touching them.

Tam was hopeful that someday his name would appear in the
records' book. The Guinness record in the category of maximum
number of fingers and toes is shared by two Indians - Pranamya
Menaria and Devendra Harne (12 fingers and 13 toes each).

Jaintia Hills deputy commissioner S. Goyal told P.T.I.,
"The matter was being looked into. Once it is verified, we
will approach the Guinness authorities." PTI RTJ