Commuters in the underdeveloped tribal-dominated Koraput district in Odisha are in for a surprise -- there is a young lady conductor in one of the buses of the newly-introduced city bus service in the district.
Meet 19-year-old M. Maheswari Patnaik of Jeypore, who has dared to break shackles of traditional mindset to become the first woman conductor in south Odisha.
Although there are some women conductors in buses in other parts of the State and the country, in undivided Koraput district, the field was always thought to be meant for males.
Speaking to The Hindu , Ms Maheswari says she always wanted to prove that there is no difference between men and women, and girls can do any work that men do.
“In our region most families think girls are burden for their parents. My parents have only two daughters and I am the younger one. I am too happy that in stead of being a burden, I am supporting my family,” she says.
Her father is a driver with the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC).
According to Ms Maheswari, a major portion of her father’s small income was spent on the education of his two children. She has completed her higher secondary course and her elder sister is studying in B.Com.
Ms Maheswari aims to pursue her education through correspondence. “Now I will be adding my bit to the family income, which will surely help me and my sister study more and get established in a life on our own,” she adds.
She thanks her parents as well as the local municipal councillor for encouraging her when she decided to go for this profession. She was the only girl who had applied for the job of the bus conductor when the interview was held on June 3. This city bus service, taken up under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), started its operation on June 30.
When asked how the passengers reacted when they saw a woman bus conductor for the first time, she says all passengers, especially women, praised and blessed her for her decision. “The amount of blessings and commendations I have received from passengers during the first week of service has made me too happy and self-confident,” Ms Maheswari says.
According to her greatest satisfaction is that several tribal women interact with her during bus trips and express that she has opened up their eyes and they would also make their daughters self-confident like her.
