Jyoti Kumari
Born
Jyoti Kumari Paswan[1]

c. 2005 (age 18–19)
NationalityIndian
OccupationStudent
Known forA 1,200 km (750 mi) bicycle journey during India's COVID-19 lockdown
Parent(s)Mohan Paswan and Phoolo Devi
HonoursPradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021

Jyoti Kumari (born c. 2005) is an Indian student from Sirhulli in the rural Darbhanga district of Bihar. She came to notice after she bicycled some 1,200 km (750 mi) with her injured father to reach their home village during COVID-19 lockdowns in India. She was given a national award, and a Bollywood film was proposed to record her story.[2]

Life

Kumari was born around 2005, and is from a small village named Sirhulli in the Darbhanga district in Bihar. Her mother, Phoolo Devi, is a cook in an Anganwadi child care facility, and her father was an e-rickshaw driver.[1]

On 25 March 2020, India imposed a lockdown to try to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in tens of millions of out-of-work migrant workers deciding that they should journey home where they had the support networks required to look after them. Among these was Kumari's father, a rickshaw driver, but he had damaged his leg in an accident and was unable to walk.[3] India's government had imposed different restrictions for different areas, but nationwide restrictions included travel restrictions and no interstate bus journeys.[4] They were a long way from their homes and Kumari proposed to cycle home. With their last money they bought a girl's bicycle and despite Kumari's father's doubts they set off on 8 May 2020.[3]

A map of India showing the start and end of her journey
Gurugram, SW of New Delhi
Gurugram, SW of New Delhi
Sirhulli, ~1200 km away
Sirhulli, ~1200 km away
The journey from Gurugram to Sirhulli in Bihar is at least 699 miles by road.[5]

Spectators were surprised to find a large man sitting on the seat of a bicycle while his much smaller daughter did the pedalling. They did have a short lift in a lorry, but they travelled about 100 miles each day. Some say that there may have been more than one lift but the journey was still significant[3] and she was described as travelling for 1,200 km (750 mi) with her father from Gurugram to Sirhulli in Bihar.[6]

This act of bravery was praised by the Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, Ivanka Trump, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[7][8] Other well wishers and VIPs were outside her house when the story was published. The crowd was criticised for not following India's social distancing rules whilst giving her gifts.[9]

Even though there were several promises to help her attend school, Jyoti has still not been admitted into any secondary or higher secondary school.[1]

Kumari was conferred the 2021 Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Shakti Puraskar for bravery in the times of pandemic by the President of India.[10] Jyoti was invited to appear for cycling trials at the All India Cycling Federation because she was a plausible selection for the Indian cycling team.[11] The New York Times, in reports on Jyoti, referred to her as the "lionhearted girl… inspiring a nation".[12][13][3]

Film proposal

It was reported by India Today that Jyoti would play the lead role for a proposed Bollywood movie on her journey with her ailing father back home. The journey would be from Gurugram to Darbhanga, but it would also include fictionalised incidents to develop the story.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Bihar Elections: Remember Cycle Girl Jyoti Kumari? She's Still Hoping to Join School". NewsClick. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Bihar girl Jyoti Kumari, who put studies over trial offer, to play herself on screen". The Indian Express. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Engle, Jeremy (28 May 2020). "Lesson of the Day: '"Lionhearted" Girl Bikes Dad Across India, Inspiring a Nation'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Full list of Red, Yellow, Green Zone districts for Lockdown 3.0". India Today. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Google Map estimate
  6. ↑ The Hindu Net Desk (26 May 2020). "Watch | India's 'bicycle girl' Jyoti Kumari". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Bihar's bicycle girl Jyoti Kumari to play lead role in a film based on her life, Atmanirbhar". Hindustan Times. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "Ivanka Trump criticised in India for praising migrant's hard journey home". The Independent. 23 May 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  9. ↑ VIPs Throng 'Cycle Girl' Jyoti Kumari's House, Neglect Lockdown Rules | ABP News, retrieved 27 February 2021
  10. ↑ "Girl Who Carried Her Father 1,200 Km On Cycle Among Bal Puraskar Winners". NDTV.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "Watch | India's 'bicycle girl' Jyoti Kumari". The Hindu. 26 May 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Gettleman, Jeffrey; Raj, Suhasini (22 May 2020). "'Lionhearted' Girl Bikes Dad Across India, Inspiring a Nation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Mihindukulasuriya, Regina (23 May 2020). "Ivanka Trump, BBC, NYT hail Bihar migrant's cycling 'feat', but not all in India agree". ThePrint. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "Jyoti Kumari, who cycled from Gurugram to Bihar village, to play lead in film based on her life". India Today. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
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