Coronavirus lockdown: Mother drives 1,400 km to get her stranded son back

A woman in Telangana rode nearly 1,400km on a scooter over three days amid the nationwide lockdown to bring her stranded son home from Nellore in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Razia Begum (48) set out on the arduous journey on Monday morning armed with local police permission. She rode solo to Nellore and returned with her younger son on Wednesday evening, showing an endurance level even seasoned rallyists would find hard to match.

"It was a difficult journey on a small two-wheeler for a woman. But the determination to bring my son back overtook all my fears. I packed rotis and they kept me going. It was fearsome in the nights with no traffic movement and no people on roads," Ms Begum told PTI on Thursday.

She is a headmistress at a government school in Nizamabad, about 200km from Hyderabad.

Razia Begum, who lost her husband 15 years ago, lived with her two sons, an engineering graduate, and 19-year old Nizamuddin, who aspires to become a doctor.

Nizamuddin had gone to Rahamatabad in Nellore on March 12 to drop his friend and stayed back there. Meanwhile, the lockdown was announced following the coronavirus outbreak and he could not return.

Razia Begum was anguished to hear from her son, who was desperate to return home, and decided to fetch him herself. The woman did not send her elder son since she feared police might mistake him for a joy rider and detain him.

After initially considering taking a car, she discarded the idea and chose her two-wheeler.

On the morning of April 6, she began the journey and reached Nellore the next day afternoon. She left for home town on the same day along with her son and reached Bodhan on Wednesday evening, Razia Begum said.

She packed "rotis" for the road ahead and rode on, making stops at fuel stations and quenching her thirst at certain points along the way.

Nizamuddin has completed his intermediate and has undergone coaching for the MBBS entrance exam.