BHOPAL: Talat Jahan is Bhopal’s first auto-rickshaw driver Talat and her mother took training with eight other women but now there are only two women drivers left.
Talat Jahan is a survivor of dowry abuse and domestic violence underwent proper training in 2016 along with her mother, Firoza B. Jahan.
“It’s been two months since I started driving an auto. I underwent training in 2016. People have to stop thinking that women can’t do anything. We are capable of doing every possible task and shouldn’t be underestimated,” Jahan told ANI.
She added, “Whenever someone comments on a girl driving the auto, I take it in a positive way that maybe they haven’t seen any girl do this before and a sense of pride engulfs me. Also, I do this because I like my work and not because I don’t have any other option.”
The mother-daughter duo now earns around Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 per day.
“I am proud of my daughter. Whenever people question me of allowing her to drive an auto and show concern for her safety, I shut them up by saying that an accident can happen inside the house as well,” said Firoza, Jahan’s mother when often questioned about her daughter long hours driving.