The Bicycle Girl – Jyoti Paswan

Sangeeta Sambhi, Keekli Intern  

Jyoti Paswan was awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskar in 2021 for her bravery and dedication

The pre-covid times had life springing with joy for people of different nationalities, cultures and religions. The binding force was that of prosperity and good health, idealistically. 

But, on the 31 December, 2019, the medical fending facade of various countries across the world started to become stoic, when, the first case of an unknown derailing disease was reported in Wuhan, China. Thereafter, it seemed as if an unprecedented demon had made a move at conquering the world. The controversy of the virus being laboratory made or naturally evolved remains a burning topic of discussion till date.

The attenuation of gauging its affects turned into a gridlock in no time. A lot of problems were faced by the people with the imposition of lockdown 1.0 on the eve of 24 March, 2020. One of them being commutation. All along the time it has been seen that the strain of this deadly virus struck the not so privileged ones hard. Daily wage workers who hailed in from various villages and small towns of the country in search of work to the larger cities were now rushing back, just to have a glimpse of their loved ones and having something solid rather than air being eaten as meals as an aftermath of having empty pockets. 

As it was reported, on the way back home, many innocents rambled and became victims of miserable accidents, while many others lost their way. Surprisingly, even in this abdicated situation, there were few people who accorded an annexation with themselves of not being set aside by any hurdles that life throws in many ways. 

One such gallant example is that of a 16-year-old, young, confident and fierce girl, Jyoti Paswan. She is a resident of a small village named Darbhanga, situated in the far-flung areas of Bihar. At the early age of 16, she covered a massive distance of 1,200 kms, from Bihar to Gurugram, on a bicycle just to rescue and bring back her father, Mohan Paswan, an e-rikshaw driver who was suffering from an injury. The Indian government had imposed various transboundary restrictions on travelling, but, the 16-year old’s sheer affection for her father saw nothing stopping from bringing her father back home. While her father is an e-rikshaw driver, on the same lapse of responsibilities, her mother, Phoolo Devi, happens to be an independent Anganwadi cook at a child care facility institution. 

She was later recognized and awarded with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskar in 2021 for her bravery and dedication. Just like another fresh flower that is added to a garland, sprinkling denizen joy and fragrance of fearlessness. Likewise, the rustic and illustrious happenstance of the gallant bicycle girl in myriad times celebrated by the country and its people. 

Her belief pivoted not in dawdling for a miracle to happen, but solely in pounding to be the hero of her story and making every emotion of effort and grit count. The relentless tragedy that separated beings of all shapes, sizes, colours and ages. The relentless misery that left a stoic scar of helplessness and hopelessness across regions, got a chance of liberation by setting an example and inspiring people by being the hero of one’s own destiny and making little bundles of miracles happen.