CHENNAI : When a group of 45 heritage enthusiasts chugged through the Mecca of Coach Manufacturing facilities — Tamil Nadu’s Integral Coach Factory (ICF), as part of Madras week celebrations, little did we know that it was going to be a steel-breaking experience.The walk curated by ICF in association with historian Nivedita Louis not only gave us a first-hand look at the factory which was set up in 1955, but also gave us a peek into Mahila Sakthi, the exclusive women’s work task team that drives different divisions in ICF, including fabrication, harness, fitting and welding.
As we sauntered our way through ICF, arguably one of the cleanest and intelligently planned colonies, soaking in its history, the art installations made by its employees from scrap, and surprisingly conducive environment, our guide for the day Razzak said, “When people think of factories, they usually imagine it being dingy, with grease and rust. But, this is one of a kind factory where we have green patches, art installations, turf courts, waste management units, and acupressure points for our employees.”
Inside the furnishing facility set up in 1962, in New Avadi road, a group of women clad in maroon uniforms, with the words Mahila Shakthi inscribed on it, were meticulously cutting and stitching rexine, and working on the interior fittings of the coach. “The work is divided equally and we have a lot of freedom here. It feels so good to be breaking barriers...I am extremely enthusiastic about coming to work every day,” smiles Sharadha*, who works in the stitching unit.
The Mahila Sakthi division of ICF, which started less than six months ago, consists of 10 teams (137 employees) under its wing and is the brainchild of ICF’s general manager Sudhanshu Mani. After an exhilarating 40-minute tour of the harness shop, storage ward and motor rewinding unit of the Mahilas, we headed to one of the most important units in the ginormous factory, which spreads across 511 acres, the Shell division.
Shop 20 (Sidewall section) — a heavy duty fabrication unit, is headed by the Mahila Sakthi team. “ICF dispatches 12 shells every day,” said Hema Ramesh, assistant personal officer. The place was abuzz with activity — women welding joints, beating down metal and cutting through sheets and forging the shell of the coach. Charulatha, senior section engineer of the sidewall section, beamed, “Before a few years, if someone said that women could weld, people would have gaped at the thought. Now, this team had made it a reality.”
“We have completed diploma courses and training in ICF’s Technical training institute. I have been in this unit for five years,” said 57-year-old Lakshmi*, who despite a fire accident and a leg surgery in 2014 decided to come back. “The safety measures have been doubled. It’s safe...it just gets hot inside the suit during summers,” she laughed. Watching the team at work was a strong dose of inspiration, and the principal financial advisor Usha Venugopal shared, “The women who work in the Mahila Sakthi team are equally efficient and powerful as the men. It is about working shoulder to shoulder and not over overstepping the other.” Talking about the women gang, general manager Sudhanshu Mani added, “We haven’t given them any extra privileges...in fact they work more and they enjoy it. That’s empowerment.”