Flying solo on busy streets of unsafe city

Sep 03, 2010 - Shruti Badyal (The Asian Age)

In a city, which has earned itself the status of being quite unsafe for women, there’s one woman whose spirits remain unfazed, as she drives around the streets of Delhi. Meet the only woman auto driver, Sunita Choudhary. And yes, she’s definitely proud to be one.
“It gives me satisfaction and I feel proud of myself to be doing what no other woman has taken on. I didn’t want to be dependent on anyone for survival, and that’s how I started this journey,” she recalls.
If you ask her about the escalating crime against women in the city, Sunita has a totally different viewpoint. “Why do we keep blaming cops for everything? Girls should be able to take care of themselves. And what can cops do if you’re roaming around on the streets of Delhi, late at night, without worrying about your own safety?” she says, adding that she has never faced any harassment while on duty even at odd hours.
Driving for the last five years, she says Delhi traffic is awful. As she struggles through each day to beat the odds, she loves the attention she gets from riders. “I’m always being interviewed by my customers. This makes my job even more exciting. I meet new people every day and it feels great that they want to know so much about me. And I don’t think I earn that well. I just make enough to be able to support my family of four,” she says.
Having lived in stressful financial conditions, Sunita refuses to talk about her past, and reveals the secret of her happiness. “I love my life now. I don’t want to talk much about my past. I love driving on the broad streets of VIP areas in the city. So, what if I can’t buy a house in Chanakyapuri or other posh areas? I can at least drive on those lanes every now and then. I love driving to the airport too, it is quite relaxing,” she adds.
For someone who gave up studying after Class 6, she says, “I see people running around with degrees these days and no jobs. They work under bosses they dislike, and don’t enjoy what they are doing. What’s in a degree? For me it is all about a satisfying life.”

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