KOCHI: In a workshop at Edayaranmula, Sreedhi P can be seen working under a vehicle clad in oil-soaked overalls, amidst the hustle and bustle of engines and clinking tool kits. From an early age, she had vowed to give a new lease of life to damaged vehicles.
By defying stereotypes, the 22-year-old works along with her father at her workshop. It was her father Prasad KS who introduced her to the world of mechanics. He runs a workshop adjacent to their house and introduced her to his job when she was a kid.
Now, the youngster can assemble any vehicle -- heavy ones, four-wheelers and two-wheelers, including vintage models like Bajaj M80 and Yamaha RX 100.
"I grew up amid screwdrivers, pliers and screw pitch gauge. Sitting on my father's lap, I used to enjoy watching the functioning of an automobile. Later, I began repairing the wheels of my friend’s cycles. When I was 15 years old, my father gave me abandoned vehicles to practice on. He taught me how to identify the core issue and tools required to mend etc. Without even knowing, I started liking the idea of repairing and giving life to those vehicles that are hard to revive," says Sreedhi.
Sreedhi repaired a broken down TVS scooter all by herself when she was 18, her first on-site work. After practising motor vehicle mechanics, Sreedhi decided to continue her passion, though she got admission to learn Ayurveda medicine.
Sreedhi admits that she faced various criticism from society for her profession."It hasn't been a smooth ride," she says. However, she is pursuing her final year of automobile engineering, in a classroom full of boys and two girls, at MahaKavi Vennikulam Gopalakurup Memorial Govt. Polytechnic College.
Defying personal odds and stereotypes, Sreedhi overhauls the Kirloskar engine and does polishing and transition works. Since she is juggling both studies and the mechanic store, Sreedhi takes up only a limited number of works, mainly two-wheelers. Sreedhi is also preparing to acquire a license to ride heavy vehicles. "A mechanic can be more effective if he or she knows how to cruise the vehicle as well," she says.
Serving women clientele
Though Sreedhi is at the beck and call of everyone, this mechanic tends to give special service to women clientele.
"Despite many women knowing how to ride a vehicle, mainly two-wheelers, the majority aren't aware of its functioning. In my opinion, a sense of fear is always associated with women drivers. There have been instances of women being ignored by the male staff and getting delayed services," says Sreedhi.
First success
Sreedhi repaired a broken down TVS scooter all by herself when she was 18, her first on-site work
One stop service
The youngster aspires to crack the PSC examination and become a Motor Vehicle Inspector or revamp her workshop by giving more importance to women and making it an all-in-one space for a customer. "While restoring decade-old vehicles, I want the customer to have the opportunity to acquire all the necessary documents from my workshop."
During the 2018 flood, Sreedhi achieved the milestone of having repaired 300 two-wheelers in a month with her father. "Vehicles that were soaked in mud and heavily damaged were worked on and handed over to their owners for reduced fee," says Sreedhi.