50-year-old woman rides 1,400 km on scooty to bring back son stranded in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: A 50-year old woman from Telangana’s Nizamabad district travelled on a two-wheeler to Nellore 700 km away to pick up her teen son stuck in Andhra Pradesh due to the COvid-19 lockdown.

Razia Begum, a government teacher in Bodhan town of Nizamabad district, started her journey on Monday morning riding her Scooty and reached Nellore town in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon. She picked up her 17-year old son Mohammed Nizamuddin, who was stuck at his friend’s place in Nellore, and headed back home. She was back by Wednesday evening, covering a total of 1,400 km in three days.

It helped that Bodhan assistant commissioner of police V Jayapal Reddy had helped her out with a letter that asked authorities to let her travel to Nellore and bring her son back. Razia Begum said she was stopped at several places by the police in the two states on account of the lockdown but was allowed to pass because of the police officer’s letter.

Razia narrated her tale to reporters at Kamareddy on her way to Bodhan on Wednesday. She had lost her husband 12 years ago due to illness and brought up her two children, a son and a daughter.

Nizamuddin, who completed his Class 12 in 2019, has been preparing for medical entrance examination by joining a coaching institute in Hyderabad. On March 12, Nizamuddin went to Nellore along with his friend whose father was hospitalised. The lockdown took them by surprise and he was stuck with his friend due to the lockdown imposed in the state on March 23.

Razia, who did not hear from her son for a long time, came to know that he was at his friend’s house in Nellore. “I approached the ACP and sought his help in bringing my son back to Bodhan. He gave me a letter permitting me to travel despite lockdown and also appealing to the Andhra Pradesh police to allow me to into the state,” she said.

“I travelled continuously through deserted roads and dusty villages midway. I was not scared at all,” she said.

The police stopped her at several places, but when they saw the letter from the Bodhan ACP, they allowed her to proceed. “Even at the inter-state borders, I had no issues, as the police cooperated with me. They advised me to take breaks for every two hours of journey so that I did not get tired,” she said.

She did not even stay in Nellore for a day, but immediately began her return journey. “The only wish to see my son gave me so much energy. Nothing more than that,” Razia said and thanked the police for their cooperation.

ACP Jayapal Reddy said he was very impressed by Razia’s determination to bring her son back home. “I was moved by her love for her son. I only requested all the police officers on the way from Bodhan to Nellore to allow her. She thanked me for the help I have rendered,” Reddy said.

HT