NCERT · Class 10 · English · Footprints Without Feet: BholiWhy was Sulekha nicknamed Bholi? Explain the reasons behind her given name and how it affected her childhood.

Sulekha was nicknamed Bholi because she was a backward child. When she was ten months old, she had fallen off her cot on her part of the head, and perhaps it had damaged some part of her brain. This resulted in her remaining a backward child, and she learned to speak only when she was five years old. However, even when she started speaking, she stammered a lot. Moreover, when she was two years old, she had an attack of smallpox that left deep black pockmarks all over her body. Only her eyes were saved, but she was a very ugly-looking child. Due to these physical and mental shortcomings, the other children made fun of her and mimicked her. Because of her lack of intelligence and slow comprehension compared to other children of her age, everyone in the family and village called her Bholi, which meant the simpleton. This deeply affected her self-esteem and confidence during her early childhood years.