More women ready to storm male bastion of 'driving'

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 17: She sat on the driver’s seat of her e-rickshaw and steered her way on the busy road of Imphal like other male counterparts. Some would even say she drives better than some male drivers. She is careful and has learned the rules of traffic.
Breaking all stereotypes, 29-year-old graduate, Kajol Waikhom is eager to start ferrying passengers. She is waiting for the transport society to give her green signal to start passenger service soon.
Kajol is the youngest of three siblings born to Wai-khom Rajesh and  Waikhom (ongbi) RK Joymala of Thangmeiband Meisnam Leikai, Imphal West.
She got an e-rickshaw on loan under the e-Mobility Pilot Programme of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Manipur.
Kajol isn’t the only one who has got e-rickshaw under the programme. A total of 65 beneficiaries were given e-vehicles including 37 e-autos and 28 e-rickshaws under the programme on April 7 at Kangla.
Significantly, 9 out of the 65 beneficiaries are women including Kajol Waikhom.
The nine women beneficiaries include Kajol Wai- khom (of Thangmeiband Meisnam Leikai), G Nandini Sharma (of Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai), Konjeng-bam Premila Devi (of Uripok Ahanthem Leikai), Diana Lairenlakpam (Naga-mapal Singjubung Leirak), Hemam Soniya (of Moi-rang), Gunthoibi Laikang- bam (of Thangmeiband Thingel Leikai), Okram Loibi Devi (of Okram Chuthek), Khuraijam Meeli Devi (of Singjamei Wang-ma Pukhrambam Leikai) and Meitankeisangbam Memcha Chanu (of Keishampat Thiyam Leikai).
Under the “Climate Change Project on Market Transformation and Removal of Barriers for Effective Implementation of the State Action Plan Climate Change” funded by the Global Environment Facilities (GEF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), each beneficiary is given a subsidy of Rs 1.4 lakh on the e-vehicles.
While an e-rickshaw costs Rs 2.11 lakh, an e-auto costs Rs 3.02 lakh.
The cost minus the subsidy is being met from loan through Manipur State Co-Operative Bank Limited.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Kajol Waikhom said she sees no gender in earning livelihood.
“A Government job is very hard to come by. I’m a graduate and I have applied for numerous jobs without any luck. When I came across the information about the Government providing subsidy on e-rickshaws, I applied at once,” Kajol said.
Before she got the e-rickshaw, Kajol said she learned driving one belonging to one of her neighbours.
“I was happy when I got the loan. The bank has so far recovered Rs 12,500 against the loan amount, but I am still not able to ferry passengers till today,” she said.
Giving the reason for the delay in starting passenger service, Kajol said starting passenger service requires admission to (transport) associations. There are some “issues” within the association and she has not been cleared for passenger service, she said, appealing to the Government and department concerned to look into the matter.
When asked if she feels okay driving e-rickshaw as majority of the drivers are male, Kajol said she feels no difference.
“A woman should be able to do what a man can do. Driving e-rickshaw  is a job and a means to earn livelihood. Gender shouldn’t be a concern here. It (gender) shouldn’t stop a woman from doing good things, plus driving e-rickshaw is helpful to the environment,” she said.
Once approved for service, she would ferry passengers from DM College, Thangmeiband to Nagamapal, Kajol said.
Another 28-year-old e-auto driver, Meitankeisangbam Memcha Chanu said she applied for the loan to earn livelihood and support her family.
She is the youngest of three sisters and was born to M Ibochou and M Sanamacha of Keishampat Thiyam Leikai.
Memcha said her father is a driver with the BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited). Earlier, she worked at a ‘data entry centre’ at Singjamei. When COVID-19 pandemic first started last year, she used to borrow an e-rickshaw and ferry vegetables to sell, she said.
When asked why she opted to become an e-auto driver, Memcha said, “Manipuri women have the strength to break the barriers keeping them inside four walls. Once I heard the Government is providing loans on e-vehicles, I applied for an e-auto. This e-auto would help me support my family.”
Memcha said she would ferry passengers between Keishampat and Wahengbam Leikai.
An e-rickshaw driver, Konjengbam Premila (45), wife of K Oken of Uripok Ahanthem Leikai, said she is ferrying passengers to and fro Uripok area and Khwairamband Bazar.
Her husband is an electrician and she used to do menial jobs at people’s houses.
“As we are poor, I can’t remain idle and sit for my husband to bring food on the table. As I heard women could also apply for the e-vehicle loan, I applied for an e-rickshaw. Women in other developed countries are driving large trucks. Seeing them makes me happy and want to try those large vehicles,” Premila said.
She also noted that e-vehicles are good friends of the environment as they emit no harmful gases.
Premila added that the people of Manipur should support women drivers.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, an official of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change said this was the first time the Department had given loans with the aim to bring about economic development amongst women too.
The aim is to promote e-vehicles and mitigate climate change.
A number of people had applied for the loan, but as the project was just for 65 beneficiaries, many were left out, said the official.