Main content

The girl who cycled her father 1,200km to safety

When coronavirus hit, Jyoti Kumari and her injured dad Mohan had to return to their home village. Jyoti cycled, Mohan sat on the back.

When India went into lockdown in response to the coronavirus crisis, millions of migrant workers staying in the cities were left unemployed and stranded. Jyoti Kumari and her dad Mohan Paswan were among them. With no work, they were running out of food and couldn't pay rent. Many migrant workers were travelling hundreds of kilometres on foot to get back to their home villages, but Mohan had been injured in a rickshaw accident and couldn't walk. So Jyoti bought a heavy old bicycle, sat her dad on the back, and cycled 1200km across the country. They spoke to Outlook's Nitin Srivastava.

If you make a phone call in India at the moment, chances are you'll hear Jasleen Bhalla's voice. She's the voice artist giving public service announcements, telling people to stay safe during the pandemic, before any call is connected. With millions listening every day across the country, the messages have elicited some strong reactions. Some call Jasleen a 'corona warrior', others find the messages very annoying.

Presenter: Nitin Srivastava
Producer: Harry Graham

Picture: Jyoti Kumari and Mohan Paswan on their bike
Credit: 成人快手

Release date:

Available now

23 minutes

Featured in...

Podcast