Ahead of the Home Guard recruitment process in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, an informal practice run was organised at Veer Shaheed Sidhu-Kanhu Ground. Among hundreds of candidates preparing for the physical test was Kabita Mahato, a widow from Sosho village.
While many participants arrived with sports shoes, tracksuits, and training gear, Kabita reportedly stepped onto the field wearing a saree and running barefoot. A video of her completing the 1,600-meter run quickly drew attention across social media—not because she won a race, but because she embodied something far greater: the power of determination in the face of adversity.
Behind that run lies a story of struggle, responsibility, and hope. After losing her husband, a migrant worker, Kabita found herself carrying the responsibility of raising her children and supporting her elderly in-laws. Like countless rural women across India, she has worked wherever work was available—striving each day to provide dignity and security for her family while pursuing the dream of a stable government job.
Her story reminds us that resilience is often built far away from stadiums, cameras, and headlines. It is forged in fields, village roads, brick kilns, and households where survival itself becomes an everyday challenge.
In many ways, Kabita’s journey echoes the spirit of Savitribai Phule, who faced humiliation, social resistance, and discrimination while pioneering women’s education in India. Savitribai walked miles every day to teach girls despite being insulted and attacked for challenging social norms. Yet she persisted because she believed that courage and education could transform lives.
Kabita’s determination also reflects a different but equally powerful lesson from Phoolan Devi—a woman who endured extreme hardship, marginalisation, and injustice, yet refused to be defined solely by her circumstances. Whatever one’s views on her life and legacy, Phoolan Devi remains a symbol of resistance against oppression and the struggle for dignity among the marginalised.
Savitribai Phule, Phoolan Devi, and Kabita Mahato lived in different times and circumstances, but they share a common thread: refusing to surrender when society, poverty, or fate seemed determined to hold them back.
Kabita may not resemble the stature of Savitribai Phule and Phulan Devi, yet her action is deeply meaningful. It symbolises the quiet courage of millions of Indian women who continue to carry families, challenge barriers, and pursue their aspirations despite limited resources and overwhelming odds.
Her story reminds us that true strength is not measured by what one possesses, but by what one overcomes. Sometimes the most inspiring journeys begin not with privilege or opportunity, but with perseverance, responsibility, and an unwavering belief in a better tomorrow.
This is why Kabita Mahato’s barefoot run symbolises more than personal determination. It reflects the everyday struggle of millions of women who are not seeking charity, but opportunity; not sympathy, but a fair chance. They run not only against competitors on a field but also against poverty, social barriers, bureaucratic hurdles, and unequal access to resources.
Kabita Mahato’s story is ultimately one of resilience and determination, but it also highlights the importance of ensuring that public welfare and social protection measures effectively reach those they are intended to serve. India has made significant progress through programmes such as widow pensions, rural employment schemes, financial inclusion initiatives, and social security measures.
However, the Performance Audit Report on Implementation of Social Security and Welfare Schemes in Jharkhand published by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India (2023) highlights that vulnerable groups, particularly widows, elderly persons, and economically disadvantaged households, may face challenges related to beneficiary identification, documentation requirements, administrative delays, and access to services, affecting the timely receipt of entitled benefits.
Similarly, the study Aadhaar and Welfare Delivery: Evidence and Challenges from Rural India by Drèze, Khera, and Somanchi (2021), published in Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), highlights that while digital identification systems have improved efficiency in welfare delivery, administrative and technological barriers can sometimes create access challenges for vulnerable populations.
Further, the Annual Report of the Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, Government of Jharkhand evidences the continuing need to strengthen awareness, outreach, beneficiary enrolment, and last-mile service delivery mechanisms, particularly in rural and remote areas.
These experiences underscore the need for continued efforts to strengthen last-mile service delivery so that opportunities created through public policy can better support individuals like Kabita in their pursuit of dignity, livelihood, and social security.
Kabita Mahato’s story reminds us that true development is not measured only by the number of schemes launched or budgets allocated. It is measured by whether women like Kabita can access those opportunities when they need them most.
As Savitribai Phule challenged barriers to education and dignity, and as countless marginalized women throughout Indian history fought for recognition and justice, Kabita’s journey represents the continuing struggle for social and economic empowerment. Her run is not merely a race for a government job—it is a race toward security, dignity, and a better future for her family.
The applause she received was not only for her speed. It was for the courage of every woman who continues to move forward despite the odds.
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