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Women’s Day: Bold and the dutiful don mantle of courage in Lucknow
Winners all the way, women look adversity in the eye, refusing to be knocked out by life’s punches as they negotiate the twists and turns of circumstances, shoulder responsibilities and emerge triumphant with a never-say-die spirit. No praise is high enough for these intrepid warriors in the battle of life.
Standing out as symbols of hope and redefining gender roles, these women cross the safety net of home daily to prove themselves in the public domain, taking up what was once considered a man’s job. Rising beyond what people thought were their capacities, they brave the odds every day to earn a living, whether by driving an e-rickshaw, carrying luggage as a railway porter or running a shack.
TAKING TROUBLES HEAD-ON TO LIFT A HEAVY BURDEN
Parmila Devi, 32, was a homemaker two years ago, but little did she know that a sudden medical emergency involving her husband would completely change the course of her life.
“I was at home when I learnt that my husband, who was a porter at the railway station, had suffered a heart attack. Upon reaching the hospital, we learnt he had passed away. I was scared and shattered. At first, I had no clue what I would do or how I would raise my children - a daughter (now 11) and a son (now 9),” said Devi.
“It was my mother, brothers and sisters-in-law who supported me and told me to continue my husband’s work as a porter.”
“About a year ago, when I reached the Lucknow Junction (NER) railway station, everything felt new. I was anxious thinking about the what ifs”.
“A few days were tough, but I began getting support from other porters at the station. Today, I know nobody would try to touch me because I have porter brothers with me,” she said. Even today, she patiently walks through the platforms looking for potential customers. Sometimes, she is busy all day, on other days, finding even one passenger requiring help with luggage is a task. She also shared that some people are supportive but at times she encounters difficult people.
“Working here, I learnt to deal with them,” she added, mentioning that she returns home in the afternoon when her children get back from school so that she can complete her duties as a mother at the same time.
STEERING THE WHEELS OF ENDURANCE
Anju Rani, 34, has been driving an e-rickshaw from Kamta to Nishatganj in Lucknow for over 12 years.
“My husband, an alcoholic, passed away in 2013 when my son was four years old. My father taught me to drive an e-rickshaw to support my family. At first, I felt shy, and driving alongside several men felt weird. In the beginning, other drivers used to take my passengers, but I understood that to earn a livelihood, I would have to boldly combat the day-to-day problems,” said Rani.
Soon after her husband’s death, she married again and was blessed with a daughter. However, the second husband asked her to leave her son at her parental home, but she refused.
“Facing domestic violence every other day, I had no option but to escape and return to my parental home. I had a four-year-old son and a six-month-old daughter. While leaving the marital home, I decided that I would raise both my kids well on my own. After returning home to Lucknow, my father had to visit our village in Rudauli for a few days. My father had stocked the kitchen supplies and handed over ₹500 so I could buy milk for my daughter. He was supposed to return after five days but the stay extended to 15 days,” said Rani.
When her father left, she saw his e-rickshaw parked outside the house. Asking her son to take care of her daughter, she left to make two rounds from Kamta to Nishatganj. “I made three-four rounds per day while my son took care of his sister. When my father returned, he had tears of joy. During that time, he had asked me to borrow some money from someone to sustain us, But I had earned about ₹9000 which made him believe that I would raise my children well,” she added.
She said that she leaves her eight-year-old daughter at school every day, and one of her neighbours picks her up. “My daughter plays with my neighbour’s children until I return home in the evening while my son is now studying in Rudauli,” Rani said.
Rekha Gupta, 25, has been driving an e-rickshaw for over two years.
“I knew how to drive a scooty. That helped me take up driving an e-rickshaw for a living. I had a daughter to raise and there was nobody else to support us, which made me decide on driving an e-rickshaw. People sometimes stare at me and even comment but I always ignore them,” Gupta said.
UNDETERRED BY TWIN BLOWS OF FORTUNE
Mohsina, 75, runs a gumti (shack) near Jama Masjid in Husainabad.
“My husband was an alcoholic and did not contribute much to the household. I worked in different households as a maid for several years. I got my six daughters married by working day and night. A few years back, he passed away from certain ailments after which I started a shack in the locality near my home,” said Mohsina.
Her daughter, Hasina, 50, also lost her husband to a heart attack in 2020. “I had children to raise, so I also started a shack. Sometimes, we get good sales while at other times it gets difficult to manage things. Even though people nearby support us, we sometimes get customers who start fighting and refuse to pay for the stuff they buy,” said Hasina.
Mohsina said starting her small business was difficult at first but gradually, she gathered the courage to learn the skills. “My daughters supported me,” she added.
