Jyoti Kumari, 15, Student
Soaring Spirit
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31 Jul, 2020
(Illustration: Saurabh Singh)
Not just the plight of migrant labourers trapped thousands of kilometres from their homes with no means of livelihood or savings to sustain themselves but their innate resilience too was exemplified in the heroic journey of Jyoti Kumari. Just 15 years old, when the landlord in their Gurugram accommodation said he would be evicting the family because they had no money to pay rent, Jyoti took out her bicycle, made her ailing father sit pillion and rode over 1,000 kilometres in a week until they reached their native village in Bihar. It was a feat that caught the attention of the whole world with even Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, lauding Jyoti’s grit. An offer from the Cycling Federation of India to come for trials was turned down and she is now focusing on her studies. Millions drew inspiration from her. Her determination showed a country under siege from a disease what the human spirit is capable of.
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