As the coronavirus resulted in many families being dealt with a cruel hand, there have been equal number of stories of inspiration from those who have fought back the adversities. 21-year-old Banjeet Kaur hailing from Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir is one of them. Banjeet has taken over driving an auto-rickshaw from her father to help the family earn.
Banjeet's father was a school bus driver but he lost his job when the schools shuttered down to prevent the spread of coronavirus, leading him to become an auto-rickshaw driver to support his family.
Speaking to ANI, Banjeet explained, "My father started driving an auto-rickshaw to earn for the family but he was not able to earn sufficient. So I stepped-in to help out."
Even though she has been helping out her family by driving the auto-rickshaw, she hasn't given up her studies. She aims to join the defence forces in the future and is currently a second-year college student and is driving the auto part-time to help out her family.
Banjeet's sister Davinder Kaur also knows how to drive an auto-rickshaw and is happy that her sister has been able to influence so many others by her grit and hard work.
Sardar Gorakh Singh, Banjeet's father is extreemly proud of his daughter. Speaking to ANI, he says, "The girls can excel in every field. They can choose their profession depending on their will."
He said that after he lost his job as a school bus driver, he was very grateful when his daughter asked him to teach him how to drive an auto-rickshaw and supported them.
"Girls like Banjeet Kaur, who is driving auto-rickshaw to support her father, is an example for society," Rachana Sharma, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Udhampur was quoted as saying.
Recently, Pooja Devi become the first female bus driver in Jammu and Kashmir. The mother of three took control of the steering wheel of a passenger bus. Hailing from Sandhar-Basohli village in Kathua district, Devi drove the bus from her hometown to Jammu on her maiden route to inspire many women into the profession.
Pooja's feat was also shared by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Twitter who wrote, "Proud to have from district Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, the first woman bus driver Pooja Devi."