Indian Woman Who Rode Scooter 1400km Alone During Lockdown... "To Pick Up My Son"

An Indian woman, Razia Begum, who traveled 1400km by scooter during the national lockdown to bring her son, and her son [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The story of an Indian mother who rode a scooter for 1,400 km to bring back her son who could not return home due to the nationwide lockdown caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is becoming an international sensation.

According to Indian media including PTI news agency, on the 10th, Rajia Begum, a woman living in Telangana state in southern India, rode a small scooter for more than 1,400 km day and night starting from the morning of the 6th to pick up her son who could not return home after the nationwide lockdown was imposed on the 25th of last month. Her youngest son, Nizamuddin, had gone to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh with friends on the 12th of last month and was unable to return home after the lockdown was announced.

After pleading with the local police and obtaining a travel permit, Begum rode the scooter through deserted roads overnight and succeeded in returning home with her son on the evening of the 8th. Begum said, "It was difficult and frightening for a woman to ride a small motorcycle over a long distance," but added, "However, the determination to bring my son back helped me overcome all fears."

As of the morning of the 10th, India reported a total of 6,412 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 227 deaths. The Indian government had previously imposed a nationwide lockdown for three weeks from the 25th of last month to the 14th of this month, during which schools, transportation, and industrial facilities were all closed, and residents were completely prohibited from going out except to purchase essential goods.