11 year old boy Tabaarak pedaled 600 kilometers for 9 consecutive days to bring his parents home to evade the severity of lockdown. A video of the boy pedaling his tri-cycle was posted in Twitter by Madhu Singh of Rashtriya Janata Dal on Monday.
Tabaarak’s father Israfil was working in a marble shop in Varanasi. He had fractured his leg while working. Tabaarak and his mom Sogra reached where Israfil was staying, before the Lockdown was in effect.
From Varansi, the mom and son picked Israfil, got into his tricycle and began their journey to their hometown Araria. Sogra lost one of her eyes in an injury while she was cutting paddy. Both the parents could not pedal and Tabaarak had to step up. The family was helped by some kind-hearted passers-by.
After reaching Araria, Israfil and Tabaarak were admitted in a quarantine facility while Sogra had to go home due to lack of facility for women, reported The Wire. The reputed news website also reported Sogra saying “My husband had pain in his leg, so my son pedaled the cart. We were helpless, we had no other option. We would have starved to death there. My two daughters were at home. Now we can die here at least among our children.”
“Neighbours and the shop owner helped us with rations for the journey. We carried an LPG cylinder and other belongings with us. We would sleep on the roadside and cook food wherever we could get water,” she further added.
Local Rashtriya Janata Dal’s MLA has been reported to have promised to help the family after they return home completing the quarantine.