In the forested terrain of Mainpat, Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, a heart-wrenching scene has gone viral online. Sukhmania Bai, a woman, is seen carrying her 90-year-old mother-in-law on her back for nearly nine kilometres under the scorching sun to collect her pension from a bank. 

It is reminiscent of mythical tales of endurance, reflecting the harsh realities of accessing basic welfare in remote tribal regions of India.

Residents explain that the region’s poor transport connectivity forces villagers to traverse rocky paths, streams, and forest stretches on foot. Sukhmania Bai has reportedly been making such arduous journeys for months because pension rules require beneficiaries to be physically present for fingerprint and identity verification before payments are released.

In the video, when asked why she undertakes such a gruelling journey, Sukhmania Bai explains that the bank only releases the pension around Rs 1,500, sometimes paid in arrears, if the elderly woman is brought in person. Earlier, pensions were reportedly delivered more locally, but the current system leaves families struggling to access their entitlements.

A Reflection of Policy Gaps

The video has sparked widespread reactions on social media, highlighting the gap between government welfare initiatives and ground realities. 

Despite Digital India and doorstep service initiatives, elderly and bedridden pensioners in remote areas still face immense physical challenges to claim their basic rights.

For many, Sukhmania Bai’s determination has become symbolic of the resilience of women in rural India, who continue to bear the weight of responsibility literally and figuratively to ensure their families’ survival amid infrastructural and administrative hurdles.