Bhiyari Fatima, born and bought up in Chennai, knows the city very well. She is married and has kids. Because of Covid-19, her husband lost his job and then she chose to drive an auto-rickshaw.
Syed Ali Mujtaba
CHENNAI — This woman has broken two myths: she is an auto-rickshaw driver, a profession reserved for men, and she wraps herself in a burqa (an enveloping outer garment which fully covers the body and the face). Meet Bhiyari Fatima, who gleefully asserts her identity in the southern megapolis of Chennai.
Fatima says many passengers are surprised to see her in the driver’s seat. “While hailing the auto, menfolks would normally say; ‘OK or alright, let’s go,’ and then realise they are sitting in a vehicle driven by a woman. Then they may say, ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise you are a woman’.”
Some passengers would say: “I thought Muslim ladies only stay at home, busy cooking or looking after the children. This is the first time I am seeing a burqa-clad woman auto driver. I am really surprised.”
Fatima, born and bought up in Chennai, knows the city very well. She is married and has kids. Because of Covid-19, her husband lost his job and then she chose to drive an auto-rickshaw. “I chose to drive the auto-rickshaw to augment my husband’s income,” she says.
Fatima thinks that with both of them earning, they will be able to make enough money to provide good education to their children. “I love driving, it helps me earn a livelihood and I don’t find anything wrong with it,” she said and adds: “My work gives me the liberty to pick up my children from school and take them to tuition as well.”
She says her work thrives mostly on women customers as they prefer female auto-rickshaw drivers. “I also lend a friendly ear to their problems as they want to talk about their issues and confide in me.”
Fatima says: “I regret not being able to wear the khaki dress worn by most of the auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai. However, wearing the burqa gives me immense pride in my identity,” she proudly exclaims.
“I want to make the point that burqa-clad women are not obscurantist or religious fanatics, but normal women who with modesty like to earn a living even if it means sweating out on the streets and driving an auto rickshaw.”
Women auto drivers are a growing tribe in Tamil Nadu’s capital city. There are over 100 women auto drivers in the city. While the choices of women rickshaw drivers do reflect a degree of empowerment, their workspace is full of challenges. There are no proper public toilets for them and there is no guarantee of their safety. They have to operate from all male-dominated auto-rickshaw stand. Likewise, beneficiary schemes for women auto-rickshaw drivers are nonexistent.
Nonetheless, these women auto rickshaw drivers have a point to make that whatever men can do, women can do much better.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
