Jyoti Kumari's Father Dies Of Heart Attack, Tributes Commemorate The Duo's Cycle Journey

Mohan Paswan, the man who made the arduous journey on the backseat of his teen daughter Jyoti Kumari's cycle from Gurugram to Bihar last year, has reportedly died of a heart attack. Officials in Darbhanga, where the Paswans were from, confirmed the news of his death Monday.

In 2020, India stood in awe of young Jyoti, only 15, as she cycled 1200 kilometres - from Darbhanga to Gurugram and back again - to get her injured father back home as the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown was announced. The duo had become the face of socioeconomic distress brought upon by the pandemic and abruptly implemented national measures to curb it.

The first year of the pandemic had severely staked livelihoods and employment, especially for daily wagers who worked away from home. Among several thousands, the story of Jyoti and her father had stood out for both its extraordinary strength and exposure of resource inaccessibility. Here's why their story was stirring.

Tributes For Mohan Paswan Recall His Homecoming On The Backseat Of Jyoti's Cycle

Social media, which had erupted in praise and support for Jyoti last year, is now mourning the young girl's loss. The 2020 story of Mohan Paswan and his daughter has taken on deeper meanings now, tributes to him reflect.

Cycle Girl Jyoti Kumari lost her father. Jyoti cycled from Gurugram to Darbhanga in Bihar covering more than 1,200 km in 7 days with her ailing father due to the lockdown. She was given a national award. pic.twitter.com/Bo4rXto4Py

— Shivangi Thakur (@thakur_shivangi) May 31, 2021

"Sorry to hear. He would have bee happy to have such an able and brave child. RIP Mohan Paswan," one user wrote. "So very tragic. Prayers with Jyoti. She had cycled 1200 km from Gurgaon to Bihar last year," another wrote. "So sad to know this. Prayers," one user said.

Kumari, since her cross-state journey last year, has gained national recognition for her unrelenting spirit. The Cycling Federation of India (CFI) had approached her with an offer to take up training with them but she refused citing her ongoing education. She was awarded the Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar in January 2021 and a film on her is reportedly in the works, which will see Jyoti playing herself.