Shortly after Lok Sabha member Kanimozhi (DMK) felicitated her and travelled along for a short distance on her bus on Friday, June 23, 2023, Coimbatore district’s first woman bus driver, M. Sharmila (24) quit her job with a private transport company, purportedly due to a face-off with the management.
“The accusation by the management that I invited Ms. Kanimozhi to increase my popularity, was unbearable. I slog for several hours a day since early in the morning [for this job],” Ms. Sharmila said after tendering her resignation.
A week ago, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan too, had travelled along with Ms. Sharmila.
The tiff on Friday was said to be a direct outcome of an argument over issuing tickets for Ms. Kanimozhi and her staff by the conductor, also a woman, in the Somanur-bound bus from Gandhipuram. Ms. Sharmila had reportedly chided the conductor for being “rude”. Later, she had lodged a complaint with the manager.
However, the management had reportedly taken the stand that Ms. Sharmila has been inviting high-profile personalities in pursuit of media limelight. The manager Raghu, claimed that the appointment of a woman conductor a few days ago was not to the liking of Ms. Sharmila, since “she felt her popularity was getting diluted.”
Mr. Raghu further claimed Ms. Sharmila was “upset” and had not reported for work on Wednesday and Thursday with the intent of quitting the job, but had offered to work on Friday.
“Ms. Sharmila had apparently looked for the right moment to quit, and she utilised the opportunity when Ms. Kanimozhi came visiting,” Mr. Raghu claimed.
Ms. Kanimozhi called up Ms. Sharmila later in the day and consoled her with an assurance to take care of her future. Ms. Vanathi Srinivasan also urged Ms. Sharmila not to lose heart, and said she would have many opportunities.
Ms. Sharmila was flooded with messages of consolation and job offers. A couple of private bus operators and a school management offered to recruit her immediately. “We will take a call shortly,” Sharmila’s father Mahesh, an autorickshaw driver, who was instrumental in the realisation of her dream to become a bus driver, said.
