CHENNAI: Tailoring was Sathyavani’s first choice to take on as a skill set that would enable her to support her three daughters. While she continues to mend tears in either her or her daughters’ dresses, it was actually behind an autorickshaw handle, where she found her true freedom.
But Sathyavani does not take credit for this decision. After she was abandoned by her husband for giving birth to three daughters, the 24-year-old woman from Korukkupet stood at a crossroads. She had to choose between the socially-accepted space of a tailor and a female auto driver – unheard of in 2000. A leap of faith and 23 years later, her auto is the love of her life, helping her not only feed her family and educate them but to build lifelong friendships and a sense of identity.
“My husband was angry that all our children were girls and so he left. I knew I had to do something but did not know what. When I first applied for the skill development course by the Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation, my first choice was tailoring,” Sathyavani tells TNIE.
She continues, “My mother pushed me to do something different and so I opted for autorickshaw driving classes with 19 other women. None of the others could take it up as a profession because of the pressure at home and from society. I was the only one who did.”
With her back against the wall, Sathyavani took to the streets of Chennai. While most passengers were welcoming and respectfully engaged with her, some others, who view women stepping out after sundown as a sacrilege, felt she was “available”.
“There have been instances when men got into my auto and played porn on their mobiles, making sure they have my attention. There was also a time when I dropped a man at a lodge in Pallavaram and he tried to force me to get inside his room,” recollects Sathyavani.
Teenagers or men in their early twenties, she says, have approached her seeking information about sex workers. “Over the years, I have learned to tackle such issues that come with being a woman auto driver but when I was younger, it was more difficult. My way is to deal with them calmly and let them know that it is not okay, and discreetly seek help from strangers when necessary. I have been lucky whenever it has come to seeking help. I never get angry or shout at them since it may result in them harming me physically,” she adds.
With a few more women taking to the road as auto drivers, Sathyavani decided to build a community. Her WhatsApp group now has around 200 women riders. They help each other out of difficult situations, listen to each other, and help other women take up this profession.
“I always tell women, including some of my passengers, that they do not have to bend over backward to make a decent livelihood. This (riding autorickshaw) helps you make anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 a day and you get to decide your own work rules and timing, which is important for women, especially those with children,” Sathyavani says.
If she comes across someone who needs rescue or rehabilitation, she coordinates with the Arunodhaya Trust to help them. In Chennai’s sweltering heat, one would find Sathyavani on the roads ready to take on a journey. “I am 47 years old now, but for as long as my body allows me, I would like to ride my auto. Despite the challenges, there’s nothing else that I would rather do,” she signs off.