Indian Bank to Sponsor Jyoti Kumari’s Higher Studies; Gives Her Rs30,000 as Immediate Help

Moneylife Digital Team 25 May 2020

Economy & Nation

The story of a 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari cycling more than 1200kms in just seven days with her father on the back caught a lot of attention. It was one of many stories of migrant labourers in the country getting displaced during the lockdown and looking to go home. While many have come forward to help Jyoti Kumari, state-run Indian Bank has offered to sponsor her for pursing higher studies.

Indian Bank's Darbhanga branch manager also handed over a demand draft (DD) of Rs30,000 to Jyoti Kumari, the bicycle girl. Indian bank has also undertaken to sponsor her education for pursuing higher studies, the lender says in a communication.

The gesture from Indian Bank is praiseworthy unlike the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and several others. The CFI wants Jyoti Kumari to visit Delhi and give a trial to become a trainee at the National Cycling Academy in the IGI Stadium complex. That too when she is still tired from the hectic seven days journey covering over 1200kms.

CFI chairman Onkar Singh told IANS "We will put her on to our own systems and assess her. We just want to call her for trials where she will be tested on computerised bikes. It is how the test is done for any new cyclist there and it shows accurately how well they can perform."

Cycling federation should be ashamed. People’s suffering isn’t a talent hunt. Jyoti was not part of a cross country cycle race, she was pushed to do this by @PMOIndia’s unconstitutional, unplanned lockdown

If you can’t help at least don’t mock herhttps://t.co/OSXeCmTuPz
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 21, 2020

Jyoti Kumari was stuck in Gurugram when the nation-wide lockdown was imposed. Her father is an auto rickshaw driver before he got injured and the lockdown left them without any source of income. This led to her asking her father to sit on the backseat of her cycle and she pedalled all the way to their village.

On 10th May, Jyoti left along with her father from Gurugram on a bicycle for Darbhanga. She arrived home on 16 May 2020.

Even Anand Kumar from the Super30 came forward to help Jyoti and said, if she wants to prepare for the joint entrance examination for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) she is welcome to join his famous class.

#Bihar daughter #jyotikumari has set an example by paddling all the way from #Delhi carrying her father on a bicycle, covering an unimaginable 1200 kms. Yesterday, my brother @Pranavsuper30 met her. If she would like to prepare for #IIT in future she is welcome to the #super30 pic.twitter.com/PMhsMvhDwn
— Anand Kumar (@teacheranand) May 25, 2020

People were stunned to learn about the plight, as well as courage displayed by Jyoti. Even US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump was impressed and went on to share the news related to Jyoti.

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!Ÿ‡Ÿ‡ https://t.co/uOgXkHzBPz
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) May 22, 2020

However, many people told Ms Trump that there is nothing to celebrate as Jyoti was forced to carry her father due to the lockdown.

Jyoti Kumari had no other choice, it was a survival instinct. It was not for entertainment or passion. This story is not a manifestation of "endurance and love" but of "misery and helplessness."

STOP glorifying Human misery. Have some Empathy and Common Sense. https://t.co/1F0wYxrqJ7
— Advaid …ˆ (@Advaidism) May 22, 2020

Separately, the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) also offered to undertake educational expenses of Jyoti Kumari and her four younger school going siblings. However, the family told AIBEA joint secretary Anirudh Kumar that since the state government will be providing the school education, they would not require any help at present.

After this, the bank employee's union decided to make a fixed deposit of Rs1.10 lakh in the name of Jyoti and her mother. On Tuesday, Mr Kumar from AIBEA handed over the FD receipt to Jyoti.

Comments

User

R_K

6 years ago

An alternate view point regarding Miss Trump's tweet.
Miss Trump applauded the spirit of Chi Jyoti Kumari. This applause is something that is very American. It is the character of America to celebrate acheivement publicly rather than to feel sorry for misfortune. This celebration is evident in the small videos we see on twitter. Smallest acheivement of kids or for that matter even animals has a lot of clapping and verbal appreciation.
The comments on the tweet by Indians showed the character of our nation starkly. I will not dwell on the vultures or agenda setters but those by the common citizens and members of civil society. Quite rightly and objectively so, they felt there was nothing to celebrate bur rather that it was a matter of collective guilt that this girl was forced into such a situation.Its noteworthy that this attitude holds a mirror to us. We feel perpetual self pity for our state, drowned as we are in a never ending stream of negativity. In such a sitaution, we instinctively criticize and give more importance to the villians in society. It never occurred to anybody to place this little girl on a pedestal and applaud her grit and determination. She is an example worth emulating for so many children and adults alike across the country.
Miss Ivanka is right and we are wrong.

riteshcalcutta

Replied to R_K comment 6 years ago

Well said