Haryana at one time was a state infamous for female foeticide, which in essence meant killing the girl child even before she is born. That resulted in a skewed sex ratio at birth in the state. According a data compiled by the Women and Child Development Department, Haryana, in 2012 in the state on an average had 743 girls to every 1000 boys. But then because of various government initiatives this ratio remarkably improved to an average of 977 girls for every 1000 boys by August 2019.
Motown India now brings to you another real life story about a lady, barely 5’ 2’’ who has come out as a clear winner in a profession dominated by tall and burly men. Yes, we are talking about heavy motor vehicle drivers i.e. those driving big trucks and buses.
She
is the first female candidate at the IDTR at Bahadurgarh and took part in the
training along with several men at the institution. Reena not only was
successful in completing her course, but did so in one go without failing a
single test, whether it was practical or theory. Officials at IDTR told Motown
India that several men are unable to accomplish this despite several
attempts. Obviously that also means that Reena has scored where men have
failed.
Reena
works for MTFC or Make the Future of Country Education Society, an NGO based in
Rohtak in Haryana. This NGO educates poor children in the district. The motto
of the NGO is “Eradicate Illiteracy, spread education. It also says learn and
teach.
True
to the spirit of the NGO, Reena has leant, and learnt quite well. Reena was
inspired to drive by her sister Neena who has already acquired a license to
drive buses one year back. Reena already knows how to drive a van, a tractor
and a bus.
Reena’s
father passed away when she was in the 10th standard in school. But she recalls
fondly that her father was proud of his daughters and would say that he has got
sons and not daughters. Reena got married when she was in her first year in BA
but then she continued to study and is now doing her MSW or Master of Social
Work.
As
a child Reena played games that are usually the favourite among boys like
playing with a bat and ball or flying kites. From a young age she believed that
if boys could do a task so could the girls. Now she cooks food and even drives
a bus for the NGO. Driving a bus came naturally to her. She used to drive a van
but when she was given the key to a bus, she drove it like a pro and her senior
at the NGO noticed that she could drive a bus well, even though she had no
formal training or had a license. He felt that she needed to get a formal
training and get a license. That led her to the gates of the IDTR in Bahadurgarh managed by the Transport
Department of Haryana along with Maruti Suzuki.
After
a formal training at the IDTR, Reena has acquired a certificate from IDTR. This
will now be shown at the government licensing authority where she will get a
proper driving license to drive Heavy Motor Vehicles or HMVs.
She
is happy for more than one reason now. She can now ferry the poor children who
come to study at the NGO in her bus. Earlier they had to be brought to the NGO
in 3-wheeler which could only
accommodate few children. Besides, she also feels that since she can drive, the
NGO can save money on a driver’s salary and as a driver she can take special
care of the children too.
Reena
Barak’s story will surely inspire many such women to come forward and take up
driving HMVs or LMVs as a profession and at IDTR they can be rest assured that
there will be no distinction between boys and girls, rich or poor, powerful or
not so powerful when it comes to acquiring driving skills.
In Part II of the IDTR report we shall give an insight into the working of an
IDTR and how Maruti Suzuki is doing wonders in a world beyond passenger
cars!