Early morning, when most women in this Rajasthan city are busy with their daily chores, Manju Khatri begins her day behind the wheels of an autorickshaw, ferrying kids to school.
Written By Miscellaneous|Last Updated: Oct 25, 2007, 12:00 AM IST|Source: Exclusive
Udaipur: Early morning, when most women in this Rajasthan city are busy with their daily chores, Manju Khatri begins her day behind the wheels of an autorickshaw, ferrying kids to school.She is the only woman autorickshaw driver of Udaipur and has stepped into the male-dominated profession after facing a lot of hardships.
In her late 40s, Manju has a diploma in stitching from Punjab. She settled down in Udaipur 25 years ago after her marriage.
Unable to make both ends meet with her meagre income, she decided to take a loan to buy an autorickshaw and earn a living by leasing the vehicle out.
Her sole motive behind this was to provide better education to her kids. But her dreams were soon shattered as the autorickshaw she had purchased only added to her monetary problems.
Regular visits to the garage for repairs as well as mounting bills for spare parts besides the drivers' fees worsened her debt position.
It was then that Narendra Barewa, a mechanic, came to her rescue and encouraged her to take up driving as a profession.
He taught her driving in the wee hours of the night, away from the inquisitive stares of onlookers who, initially, made things difficult for her.
Now, Manju triumphantly drives on Udaipur roads and has won the support and respect of her fellow autorickshaw drivers who readily lend a helping hand to their dear 'Aunty' at all times.
The traffic policemen also assist her whenever needed.
"The people in Udaipur are very nice, and the city is safe for girls too," Manju said. She feels good when the women from affluent families regard her with respect.
"We feel proud of her. She has shown that a woman can compete with men in any sphere. It is a motivating factor for us," said Lakshmi, a housewife.
Although not uncommon in southern India, a woman driving an autorickshaw is unusual in Rajasthan.
Manju's husband is a kerosene vendor. Despite many hardships she has got her daughter married and her son is pursuing a career in computers. Within a period of three years, she has repaid the loan she took for the rickshaw.
"No work is below dignity when accomplished with a sense of responsibility and duty," she said.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.