Bike ride to Rajasthan cut short, thanks to these first responders

A group of Rajasthani families, who were travelling on bikes from Kanniyakumari to their home State, at Kayathar on Tirunelveli-Madurai National Highway on Tuesday.

The extended lockdown has forced youth from Rajasthan living in Kanniyakumari district for over a decade to embark on a desperate two-wheeler journey with their families to their distant home State.

The youth, who are in their late twenties, arrived here with their parents a decade ago and settled down near Kanniyakumari, an international tourist destination, Nagercoil, Marthandam and Kaliyakkavilai on Kerala border. Their ice candy and paani puri business became an instant hit among tourists and school children.

To augment their income, they also sell toys, imported from China, Rajasthani handicrafts, blankets, floor mats and cotton candy when their regular business becomes dull during monsoon.

However, the lockdown has severely dented their business, which peaks in summer with the arrival of tourists to Kanniyakumari and holidays for children.

Although the State government has rolled out relief for the poor, the assistance is intended only for ration cardholders. Things have turned from bad to worse for the Rajasthani families due to non-availability of wheat flour, their staple food. With no income for more than three weeks and wheat flour running out of stock, a group of youth decided to leave for their home State with their wives and young children in two-wheelers braving the hot weather.

On Monday night, they managed to cross Kayathar check-post on Tirunelveli-Thoothukudi border on Tirunelveli-Madurai National Highway, but five bikes were intercepted by a police team on Tuesday morning.

After collecting details, the police personnel assured them that things would become more conducive in the near future. But the youth stuck to their plan and said they were keen to reach their native State after a journey that was expected to take six days.

Although they could not convince the bikers to turn back, the police team provided them with breakfast and informed their Kanniyakumari counterparts, who rushed to the spot within the next two hours and held out assurances of food supply, especially wheat flour.

The Rajasthani youth finally accepted the assurance and turned their two-wheelers towards Kanniyakumari once again, with the women and children riding in a police vehicle.