S. Narasa Lakshmi shuts all stereotypes down as she rubs shoulders with khaki-clad men driving autorickshaws. Vizag’s first woman autorickshaw driver, she is a known name in her community as she drives around the lanes of Gnanapuram, owning them.
Free ride
From giving a free ride to the differently-abled and senior citizens to pepping up the mood of nervous students heading for the exam centre, Ms. Lakshmi has made a mark for herself in many ways and stands as an inspiration for women breaking into a male-dominated sphere.
“I have a special rapport with my passengers and they give me a lot of respect,” she smiles.
With a sound financial upbringing, Ms. Lakshmi’s life turned upside down when after marriage she realised that her husband was an alcoholic. No amount of effort from her side could change him.
Very soon the family landed up in piles of debt and led her to take up an active role in her family textile business.
But the debts kept mounting and her husband sold their property. With no roof to call their own and the textile business that had to wrapped up due to the burden of debt, Ms. Lakshmi was, however, not the one to give up. She took up another job at a hospitality firm in the house-keeping department.
When she was just about settling down in life, the biggest jolt came with her husband’s sudden death. “We were devastated. The only thing that came to my mind was to work for my son who was in school then and give him proper education,” says Ms. Lakshmi.
A TV programme came as a solution to her problem where she first heard an inspiring story of a woman autorickshaw driver. “I took a loan and purchased an autorickshaw,” she added. That was four and half years ago. Today, she stands as an inspiration to three other women auto-rickshaw drivers in the city who followed her path.
Challenges
What are the challenges she faces as a woman in a male bastion? “Sometimes I come across unruly men. But I do not entertain them. One of the main challenges for me today is to repay the loan and build a house that we can call ours again,” says Ms. Lakshmi.
With a monthly EMI of ₹6,500 as well as a house rent to pay, her challenges are far from over. But that doesn’t deter her positive spirit.
“I feel happy today that my hard work has helped in my son’s education. He is studying polytechnic in AVN College and dreams big,” she says with a sense of satisfaction.