'Couldn't Pass UP Police Exam Due To Reservation': Woman Scores 266 Marks, Still Misses Selection; Takes 61-Litre Kanwar Yatra | Video

· Free Press Journal

A woman from Uttar Pradesh, Mansi Rajput, is undertaking a gruelling Kanwar Yatra carrying 61 litres of water as an expression of her devotion to Lord Shiva, while also using the arduous journey to challenge those who believe women cannot take on difficult tasks.

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Rajput, who is from Jewar, said she decided to undertake the demanding pilgrimage after facing repeated setbacks in her attempts to secure a government job. She said she had been preparing for government examinations for the past three to four years and appeared for exams including the UP Police recruitment examination, but could not secure a place in the selection list.

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“I can do everything. I can do what boys can do,” Rajput said, responding to people who tell women that they cannot step outside their homes or take on physically demanding challenges.

She said the journey is also a personal response to the disappointment she experienced after failing to clear competitive examinations despite years of preparation.

“I've been preparing for 3-4 years for government service. I am from the general category, I didn't get my number due to reservation. I got 50-60 numbers from the last cut-off, but I didn't get my number. I thought I should lose hope, I was about to die. I just got a call from the police that I had 266 numbers, but I didn't get selected. The last list was on 183.,” she said.

“I was completely broken. Nothing was left in my life,” she said, adding that her mother encouraged her to leave the matter to God.

It was during this period that Rajput decided to undertake the Kanwar Yatra. She initially planned to carry 21 litres of water, before increasing the target to 51 litres and eventually taking on the challenge of carrying 61 litres.

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Rajput said her faith in Lord Shiva has helped her find strength during a difficult period in her life.

“In the devotion of Bhole Baba, Bhole Baba dances with us. Bhole Baba is with us,” she said, describing her belief that Lord Shiva is accompanying her throughout the journey.

She also said that encouragement from people outside her local community and her mother has helped her continue the demanding pilgrimage despite feeling overlooked by people around her in Jewar.

“People who say girls can't do anything, I'm challenging them,” she said. “I can do everything. I can do what boys can do.”

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