Defying odds: Miss India runner-up Manya Singh relives her journey via Instagram post
Manya Singh wrote that in order to fund her studies, her parents mortgaged whatever little jewellery her mother had
Kolkata: We have come across numerous tales of individuals triumphing over various obstacles strewn in their paths.
In January 2013, Prema Jayakumar (24) caught the attention of the nation by topping the country in Chartered Accountancy examination.
She was brought up in a one-room chawl in Mumbai where she lived with her mother, brother and her father, who drove an autorickshaw for a living.
It has now come to light that Manya Singh, the Femina Miss India 2020 runner-up, too had to face innumerable roadblocks on her journey. But to her credit, she displayed grit to overcome the odds.
Daughter of an autorickshaw driver, she ran away from home at 14, struggled to complete her studies, washed dishes in the evening and worked at call centres at night.
“I have spent numerous nights without food and sleep. I’ve spent many afternoons walking for miles on end. My blood, sweat, and tears have amalgamated into the courage to pursue my dreams. Being a rickshaw driver’s daughter, I never had the opportunity to attend school as I had to start working in my teens. All the clothes I had were hand-me-downs. I yearned for books, but luck wasn’t in my favour,” she wrote on her Instagram post.
Singh wrote that in order to fund her studies, her parents mortgaged whatever little jewellery her mother had.
“I’ve walked hours to reach places so I could save the rickshaw fare. I am here today at the VLCC Femina Miss India 2020 stage to uplift my father, my mother, and my young brother and to show the world that all is possible if you are committed to yourself and your dreams,” Singh wrote on social media.
Manya was born in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. After completing her schooling, she enrolled in Mumbai’s Thakur College of Science and Commerce and is preparing to pursue management studies as thinks education is the most potent weapon.
She draws inspiration from Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Manya thinks that her mother holds the biggest influence in her life who has imparted the lesson of not giving up.
The beauty pageant was held on February 9 where Manasa Varanasi from Telangana won the Femina Miss India 2020 title while Manika Sheokand from Haryana bagged the title of Femina Miss Grand India 2020.
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