While some of them fought adversities head on, others were forced to take up tough responsibilities amid lockdown. And it is just sad to see these children bearing the brunt of the crisis.

1. 15-year-old girl, Jyoti Kumari, cycled over 1200 km from Gurugram to Bihar carrying her ailing father during lockdown.

At an age when she should have been studying or playing, Jyoti had to take up the responsibility of her jobless and ailing father. With no money to pay rent in Delhi, she decided to buy a bicycle and ride to her village in Bihar.

She had also been offered a trial by the Cycling Federation of India, which she refused because she wants to study.

2. A 12-year-old boy was thrashed by cops while he was attending to his father’s fruit cart.

The incident happened in Bareilly when the boy was selling fruits and vegetables in his father’s absence.

A video of the kid talking to media also went viral on social media. In the video, he can be heard saying:

Mere papa nahane gaye the ghar pe. Humara thela lagta hai gali mein to main yahan pe khada ho gaya tha. Police wale aaye, unhone gandi gandi gaaliyan di aur dande maare mujhe. 

3. An 11-year-old boy, Tabaarak, pedalled a tricycle cart for 600 km and 9 days carrying his parents from Varanasi to their village in Bihar.

Tabaarak’s father used to work in a marble shop in Varanasi. He recently met with an accident which left him with a fractured leg and his mother is blind from a past injury.

After his father lost his job during lockdown, they were left with no money. Seeing other migrant workers walking back home, Tabaarak also mustered up the courage to ferry his parents on a tricycle.

Moved by his story, chef Vikas Khanna offered to help the child and asked netizens to connect him with the kid.

4. An Assam girl Janmoni Gogoi, took it upon herself to sell vegetables on a bicycle as her family faced financial troubles.

Janmoni, a college-dropout used to assist her mother in selling vegetables in the local market. When the lockdown was announced, daily business in the village markets was banned.

As financial trouble loomed over her family during lockdown, she decided to sell vegetables in the village on her bicycle. The money she earns by selling vegetables gives her family two meals of the day.

Touched by her story, the local police gifted her a moped. Happy and indebted, she said:

We will remain indebted to the police and others who helped us. I will now be able to carry a larger amount of vegetables. I know how to ride it (moped) but I don’t have a licence. I have to apply for it.

At an age when these children should have been leading a carefree life, they had no option but to fight against all odds and adversities life threw at them.