Meet Banjeet Kaur, 21-year-old female auto driver breaking stereotypes in Jammu and Kashmir

14-01-2021

Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir: Banjeet Kaur, a 21-year-old from Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir, is breaking stereotypes by driving an auto-rickshaw to help her father earn a living. Banjeet's father started driving an auto-rickshaw after losing his job as a school bus driver due to the pandemic. Since he was not able to earn much, she decided to help him. "My father was a school bus driver but he lost his job as the schools remain closed due to COVID-19. He started driving auto-rickshaw but he was not able to earn sufficient. So I stepped-in," Banjeet told ANI. Banjeet has not left her studies to help her family. She wants to join the defence. "I am a second-year student and driving auto-rickshaw is like a part-time job," she said. "We girls should be ready for every situation," she added. Her sister Davinder Kaur is proud of that Banjeet drives as she is creating an impact in the lives of many people. "I too know how to drive," said Davinder. "The girls can excel in every field. They can choose their profession depending on their will," Sardar Gorakh Singh, father of Banjeet, said. Banjeet and Davinder learned to drive auto-rickshaw during the lockdown. "After I lost my job during the lockdown, my daughters asked me to teach them to drive auto-rickshaw. I supported them," the father said. Rachana Sharma, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Udhampur, said, "Girls like Banjeet Kaur, who is driving auto-rickshaw to support her father, is an example for society. When I was transferred as ARTO at Udhampur, I started a campaign called 'Girls can drive' under which several girls were trained to drive."