New Delhi: Jyoti Kumari, the girl who carried her injured father home from Gurugram to Bihar’s Darbhanga, covering the around 1,200-km journey on a cycle amid a nationwide lockdown, is being showered with accolades and offers of help.
After a trial offer from the Cycling Federation of India and that for help towards her education from several ministers, the teenager has now been promised a place in Super 30, the famed IIT-JEE coaching institute, by its founder and mathematician Anand Kumar.
Kumar posted on his Facebook page that his brother had met Jyoti’s family and she was welcome to join the Super 30 family. He also promised to arrange for all the expenses for her engineering studies.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Bihar’s former chief minister Rabri Devi spoke to the girl’s family through a video call Sunday. Devi has offered to sponsor Jyoti’s education, her wedding and also promised to provide a job to the teen’s father.
7 दिन अपने हौसलों से मुश्किलों को पराजित कर घायल पिता मोहन पासवान जी को साइकिल पर बैठाकर 1200 किमी का सफर तय करने वाली बिहार की जांबाज बेटी ज्योति से बात की। माँ श्रीमती @RabriDeviRJD जी ने फ़िलहाल आर्थिक मदद के साथ-साथ ज्योति की पढ़ाई, शादी और पिता की नौकरी का वायदा किया है। pic.twitter.com/dleVoBvkxH
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) May 24, 2020
Lok Janshakti Party MP Chirag Paswan has also offered to sponsor her education.
Lok Janshakti Party offers to sponsor education of Jyoti Kumari who cycled almost 1,200 km to Darbhanga in Bihar from Gurgaon carrying her injured father on pillion during coronavirus lockdown
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 24, 2020
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Chaubey said he was considering making her the “health ambassador” of India.
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan called Jyoti a “modern Shravan Kumar” (a mythological figure known for carrying his blind parents on his shoulders) and appealed to Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to provide scholarship and training to her.
कोरोना महामारी के इस संकट से पूरा देश लड़ रहा है। ऐसे कठिन समय में आधुनिक श्रवण कुमार, बिहार की बेटी #ज्योति_पासवान ने अपने पिता को साइकिल पर बिठाकर गुरुग्राम से दरभंगा तक 1000 किमी से ज्यादा की यात्रा कर जिस हिम्मत और साहस का परिचय दिया है, उससे अभिभूत हूं। 1/2 @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/p6TGz9PXsa
— Ram Vilas Paswan (@irvpaswan) May 24, 2020
मैं केन्द्रीय खेल मंत्री @KirenRijiju जी से भी आग्रह करता हूं कि पूरी दुनिया में साहस की मिसाल कायम करने वाली देश की बेटी #ज्योति_पासवान की साइकलिंग की प्रतिभा को और अधिक संवारने के लिए इसके उचित प्रशिक्षण और छात्रवृति की व्यवस्था करें। 2/2 @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/H3JVsNSM6q
— Ram Vilas Paswan (@irvpaswan) May 24, 2020
Responding to the tweet, Rijiju said Jyoti will be chosen as a trainee in Delhi’s National Cycling Academy after her trials with the Cycling Federation of India.
मैं विश्वास दिलाता हूं @irvpaswan जी, SAI अधिकारियों और साइक्लिंग फेडरेशन्स से ज्योति कुमारी के परीक्षण के बाद मुझे रिपोर्ट करने के लिए कहूंगा। यदि संभावित पाया, तो उसे नई दिल्ली में IGI स्टेडियम परिसर में राष्ट्रीय साइक्लिंग अकादमी में प्रशिक्षु के रूप में चुना जाएगा। https://t.co/OdgEVqfrge
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 24, 2020
Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also appealed to Rijiju to give full support to the girl.
Also requested the Sports Minister @KirenRijiju to give full support to this courageous girl from Bihar- Jyoti Kumari Paswan by way of training & scholarship to develop her as a cyclist of repute, if she is willing. I salute her courage and determination. (2/2)
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) May 23, 2020
The ‘cycle girl’ has, however, refused to come for the trial immediately as she wants to focus on her studies. She said she is physically exhausted after the long journey.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has also offered Rs 1 lakh to Jyoti for her courageous feat.
सरकार से हारकर एक 15 वर्षीय लड़की निकल पड़ी है अपने घायल पिता को लेकर सैकड़ों मील के सफ़र पर… दिल्ली से दरभंगा. आज देश की हर नारी और हम सब उसके साथ हैं.
हम उसके साहस का अभिनंदन करते हुए उस तक 1 लाख रु. की मदद पहुँचाएंगे. pic.twitter.com/amO502S6dj
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 21, 2020
Also read: Ivanka Trump thinks Jyoti Kumari’s story will inspire Indians, but it should shame us
‘Lionhearted girl’
Jyoti had cycled for seven days to reach home, covering 1,200 km. On 22 May, US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump posted a tweed admiring the girl’s endurance and love for her father.
15 yr old Jyoti Kumari, carried her wounded father to their home village on the back of her bicycle covering +1,200 km over 7 days.
This beautiful feat of endurance & love has captured the imagination of the Indian people and the cycling federation!?? https://t.co/uOgXkHzBPz
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) May 22, 2020
The New York Times also took note of Jyoti’s arduous journey, with a headline that said “‘Lionhearted’ Girl Bikes Dad Across India, Inspiring a Nation”.
Social media users, however, were divided with many condemning the Narendra Modi government for failing to fulfill its responsibilities towards the migrants.
This is not a feat of excellence. It’s a feat fuelled by desperation caused due to the callous attitude of the @BJP4India government headed your “friend” and “host” @narendramodi
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) May 22, 2020
Her poverty & desperation are being glorified as if Jyoti cycled 1,200 KM for the thrill of it. Government failed her, thats hardly something to trumpet as an achievement . https://t.co/i33ImFm0fr
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 22, 2020
Also read: Sonu Sood is the new Sushma Swaraj, helping stranded Indians one Twitter request at a time