In absence of public transport, a 38-year-old man travelled 105 km on a bicycle carrying his son to ensure he does not miss Class X board's supplementary exam in Dhar of Madhya Pradesh.
Though Shobhram, who paddled the cycle, is himself unlettered, he said he understands the importance of education and did not want his son to waste one year by missing the supplementary paper.
Therefore, he decided to undertake the arduous journey, with his son on the cycle's rear seat, from his village Baydipur in Dhar district's Manawar tehsil to reach the exam centre on time.
With no public transport available due to the COVID-19 lockdown and hardly any money, Shobhram decided to take his son on a bicycle to Dhar town, some 105km away, so that he can appear in Class X boards supplementary exam conducted under the Madhya Pradesh government's 'Ruk Jana Nahin' scheme.
The scheme gives an opportunity to students to clear those subjects which they were unable to pass in the first attempt.
“No means of transport, including bus, were available due to the prevailing coronavirus situation. But if I had missed this opportunity, then my son's one year would have gone waste. Therefore, I decided to take him for the examination on a bicycle,” Shobhram told PTI on Wednesday.
"Besides, we don't have money or even a motorcycle. Nobody helps. But for improving my son's life, I brought him to Dhar for appearing in the examination on bicycle," he said.
"We carried food and other eatables with us for sustaining ourselves in Dhar for two-three days. We started on Monday and after spending a few hours of night at Manawar town, we reached Dhar on Tuesday morning just before start of the exam," he said.
The boy, Ashish, aged around 15, said, "I am studying in Class X and I came here on cycle with my father for appearing in the examination."
Ashish appeared in the examination held at the Government Bhoj Girls School in Dhar town.
Meanwhile, taking cognizance of their plight, the Dhar district administration made arrangements for their stay and food in a tribal hostel till August 24, tribal development departments assistant commissioner Brajesh Kumar Pandey said.
The department will also make arrangements for their return journey and not allow them to go back home on their bicycle, he added.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, while praising the efforts of Shobhram, demanded that the state government make transport arrangements for students appearing in examinations under the 'Ruk Jana Nahi' scheme.
In a tweet in Hindi, the Congress leader said, “I salute the courage of Shobhram who cycled for 105km to ensure that his son appears in the 10th board examination.”
