The finale of VLCC Femina Miss India 2020 was staged on Wednesday and Manya Singh was crowned as the runner-up at the event. Manya is the daughter of a rickshaw driver and hails from Uttar Pradesh. While her family was elated at her success, Manya did not forget what it took for her to achieve this feat.
There have been times in the past where she was not able to pay her school fees or afford her school books. Manya had to face prejudice for being an auto driver’s daughter and was neglected by her classmates. She had to deal with the idea of conventional looks in her childhood where she was called “not good-looking”. Manya was also “disregarded by others for not being able to speak fluently like others”.
In an Instagram post, Singh opened up about the hurdles she had to face since childhood.
“I’ve 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 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. Eventually, my parents mortgaged whatever little jewellery my mother had to ensure that I paid my exam fees in order to earn a degree.”
At the age of 14, Manya fled home. “I somehow managed to complete my studies in the day, became a dishwasher in the evening, and worked at a call centre at night. I’ve walked hours to reach places so I could save the rickshaw fare.”
Manya revealed she had to spend many nights without food and sweat. She could not attend school as she had to start working in her teenage. “All the clothes I had were hand-me-downs. I yearned for books, but luck wasn’t in my favour. Eventually, my parents mortgaged whatever little jewellery my mother had to ensure that I paid my exam fees in order to earn a degree,” she shared with Miss India in December 2020, adding how her mother suffered a lot to provide for her.
Talking about her motivation behind participating in Miss India 2020, she had said, “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.”
Manya’s journey and achievement are shaping up to be the inspiration for hundreds of youngsters like her. The Miss India organisation thanked Manya for “sharing her story of struggle and hard work” and hailed her as an inspiration to others.