Jharkhand's 'Karate Kid' Struggles For Survival, CM Soren Steps In To Offer Job

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday, October 19, announced that national karate champion Bimla Munda will be provided with a government job within a month.

He stated that the karate champion along with 32 other candidates selected by the previous government for direct jobs, for earning medals for the state, would be given state government jobs.

26-year-old Bimla Munda, a national karate champion who had earned dozens of medals for Jharkhand which included a silver in the 34th National Games, was forced to sell handia/ rice beer to tide over the financial crisis and earn a livelihood.

"Due to poor financial conditions of my family, I was forced to start this business during lockdown to earn a living for my family and bear the expenses to continue my karate practice," said Munda, reported The New Indian Express.

"In this game, one has to pay the fees from own pockets and bear travelling costs for every tournament, which requires a lot of money," she added.

According to reports, Munda's mother used to work as a daily wage labourer but had to give up working due to old age and poor health.

The karate kid had, however, had been learning martial arts form since she was in Class 5. Munda played her first tournament in 2008 and earned her first medal in a district level tournament.

She had hoped to get some scholarship or job from the state government, but to her dismay, no such action was taken by the government.

Once proud of her shining medals and extraordinary achievements, Munda said that with the medals losing its colour, she had realised the hard realities about life.

"We were hopeful after the previous government announced direct recruitment of sportspersons who fetched medals. But it got diminished as time passed on as not efforts were made in this regard by this government," she had said.

Also Read: Chipko Movement Recreated In Dehradun As Hundreds Gather To Oppose Felling Of Over 10,000 Trees