Janmoni Gogoi: The story of a vegetable selling woman in Assam

The Dibrugarh police on Monday gifted a TVS moped to 20-year-old Janmoni Gogoi, who hogged the limelight after her story of selling vegetables on a bicycle during the lockdown went viral. She hails from Saphakati, Ghogora Gaon in Upper Assam’s Bogibeel area.

Hailing her efforts to support her parents, the DSP(HQ) Pallavi Mazumdar handed over the moped at the girl’s residence. “In a bid to encourage her, we decided to gift a moped. However, she had refused to take any help from us initially,” she added.

Mazumdar further said, “She is a bold and brave girl. She is a true inspiration for many. We are proud of her.” She is the only daughter of Kiran Gogoi and Monomoti.

Janmoni’s family is one of those lakhs of families adversely affected by the completed lockdown enforced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 25 initially for 21 days which was later extended to prevent the spread of the lethal coronavirus.

Deprived of any government assistance during the lockdown, Janmoni said, “We have faced many difficulties to run our family since the lockdown was enforced. People are not allowed to step out. Markets are shut. Finding no way, I took my bicycle and went out to sell vegetable door to door in our locality.” She procures vegetables from Bogibeel and sells in Jamira.

Thanking the gesture of the Dibrugarh police, Janmoni said, “I am thankful to them (Dibrugarh police). This will definitely help me in ferrying vegetables from one place to another.”

For the last two years, Janmoni has been helping her mother by selling vegetables on a bicycle to run her family and to look after her ailing father. “My father has been ailing for the last 18 years. He cannot even walk and maa (mother) sells vegetables at the Borbaruah market to run our family,” she said.

On the other hand, DHSK college principal Sashi Kanta Saikia expressed his willingness to finance her higher studies.

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