Gwalior: Rains and potholed roads were no deterrence for this Jharkhand man. He drove over 1,200km on a scooter, with his pregnant wife sitting pillion. The only reason for the man to do such a thing was his love for his wife. There was another reason too. The man travelled the distance so that she could appear for an exam for aspiring teachers here in Madhya Pradesh.
The tribal couple, Dhananjay Kumar (27) and his wife Soni Hembram (22), travelled on the two-wheeler from Ganta Tola village in Godda district of Jharkhand. They reached a centre so that Soni could appear for the DEd (Diploma in Education) exam. The examination needs to be cleared for those wanting to take up teaching jobs.
The wish to see his wife become a schoolteacher inspired Kumar to undertake the arduous journey. He travelled across four states, braving rains and bad roads. He also braved the COVID-19-enforced lockdown.
“Trains, buses and other means of transport were not available. So we decided to traverse the journey by road our two-wheeler,” Kumar said Friday.
“My wife, who is pregnant, was initially reluctant to take this arduous journey. But after seeing my determination, she agreed for this long journey,” he added.
The couple arrived here August 30 for the DEd exam being conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education. The examination will continue till September 11.
A video of the couple and their journey taken by some newspersons went viral on social media. The district administration noticed the video and stepped in to help them.
“If I had hired a taxi for coming to Gwalior, it would have cost Rs 30,000 which was a big amount for me. Whatever little jewellery we have, we mortgaged it to raise Rs 10,000. So far, we have spent Rs 5,000 on our one-way journey and on a room that we have taken on rent,” Kumar who has studied till Class 8, said.
We started off August 28 morning and en route stayed a night each in Muzaffarpur (Bihar) and Lucknow to reach Gwalior on our scooter,” he added.
Kumar was working as a cook with a caterer before he lost his job three months ago because of lockdown.
“Earlier I thought that it won’t be possible for me to appear in this examination. However, after seeing my husband’s determination and courage, I got ready for this long journey. We faced a lot of trouble due to rains. I got a mild fever en route, but now everything is okay. I will apply for teaching job in Jharkhand and I am sure I will get selected. I am sure my efforts won’t go to waste,” said Soni. She stated that she got married to Kumar in December last year.
Gwalior collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh took cognisance of the couple’s travails. He directed the district’s women empowerment officer, Shaleen Sharma, to take care of them. He asked her to provide the couple with Rs 5,000 as immediate assistance.
Sharma said, “The administration will also pay for their rent and make arrangements for their food. We have also offered to send them back to their village safely. As the woman is pregnant, special attention is being given to her. Soni’s medical examination and ultrasound will be done Sunday.”
