Mother runs barefoot in saree to keep daughter’s civil services dream alive

Prof. Deepak Phulari, Principal, Kholeshwar Mahavidyala, recalled the moment vividly. “In the 30+ age group, Ramabai surprisingly registered and ran in a saree. Even after covering some distance, she removed her slippers and ran barefoot. To everyone’s surprise, she won the race in around 30 minutes. Her daughter also stood second in the younger age group,” he said.

But behind the viral moment lies a story of quiet, grinding struggle. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ramabai revealed what pushed her to enter the race in the first place.

“My younger daughter, Aarti, is good academically and had been demanding MPSC books for the last two weeks. I couldn’t gather Rs 3,200 to buy them, so she stopped speaking to me for eight days. I was very frustrated. When I learned that a 3-km run was scheduled on Sunday, I immediately enrolled and decided to run as fast as I could to win the Rs 3,000 prize money that could help buy the books,” Ramabai said.

She gave it everything she had – and won. In a moment that made the day even sweeter, her elder daughter Pooja also claimed second place in the younger age category, earning Rs 2,000. Both prize amounts went straight to Aarti, for her books.

From Potra Village to Ambajogai

Ramabai’s journey to this moment began long before Sunday’s race. Originally from Potra village in Hingoli district, her life changed drastically when her husband passed away in 2012, leaving her to raise two young daughters alone.

“We don’t have any farm or property, so I had to work on other people’s farms to earn daily wages,” Ramabai said. It was through this back-breaking, uncertain work that she managed to fund her daughters’ schooling, year after year.

Today, her elder daughter Pooja, 22, is training to join the Maharashtra Police, while Aarti is in her second year of BSc Computer Science at Nanded’s Vishwabharti Mahavidyalaya – and dreams of becoming an officer herself through MPSC.

The financial strain, however, remains relentless. “I get paid Rs 9,000 per month here, but Aarti needs around Rs 10,000 per month for her expenses. So I transfer my entire salary to her every month. It’s been a real struggle to manage both my daughters’ education and training,” Ramabai said.

From giving up college to chasing police badge

Pooja’s own story adds another layer to this family’s resilience. Currently training at Dnyandeep Academy in Ambajogai, she gave up her own dreams of graduating so her mother’s burden would ease.

“After my father passed away, my mother worked very hard to feed us. After completing my HSC, I had no money to pursue graduation, so I left my studies and have spent the last one year preparing for police recruitment. My goal is to get into police service, make my mother proud, and improve our financial condition,” Pooja said.

She credits much of her progress to Dnyandeep Academy’s owner, Datta Darade, who waived her training fees entirely, offered accommodation and even gave Ramabai a job as a cook at the academy – a small but crucial lifeline for the family.

Yet one obstacle continues to hold them back. Aarti is eligible for a government scholarship meant for students, but the family cannot access it – because they don’t have her late father’s death certificate.

“I approached our gram panchayat, but officials said they couldn’t help and asked to get the death certificate from a court. We don’t have enough money to pay a lawyer’s fees, so it’s still pending,” Pooja said.

Ramabai’s barefoot dash for her daughter’s books quickly found an audience far beyond Ambajogai. Author Neil D’Silva wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Salute to Ramabai. Yet another reminder that mothers can do anything for their children. She is the true elite.”

Dr Shama Mohamed, National Spokesperson for the Indian National Congress (AICC), also weighed in, posting, “Maharashtra government must come forward and fund her daughter’s education.”