'Magalir Mattum' - The Tamil women boldly working in professions once considered all-male bastions
Chennai women have been giving the men a run for the money in professions that they had never set their foot on earlier.
Remember the 1994-movie Magalir Mattum? It is hard to forget the hilarity with which Revathi, Rohini and Urvashi, in the characters of Sathya, Pappamma and Janaki, bash their boss — Pandian (played by Nassar) — who relentlessly harasses them.
A scene that stands out in the film is that of a female bus driver showing a thumbs-up, saying "From now on, the world is going to be ours."
It is indeed Magalir Mattum (Ladies’ Only) in Chennai lately, with women rubbing equal shoulders in professions that were traditionally considered men’s bastions. From being couriers to driving buses to racing cars, the latest feather in their hat is a Swiggy food delivery person!
Meet 40-year-old Jayalakshmi from Sengkundram (Redhills) in Chennai — namma Chennai’s newest food delivery 'Akka'.
A pro at riding two-wheelers, Jayalakshmi zips through the streets of Chennai, covering more than 120 kilometres every day. She starts with her delivery work around noon, travelling from Redhills to the uptown Alwarpet, picking up Swiggy orders from swanky restaurants, and delivering at least 10 a day.
Jayalakshmi is a novice when it comes to smartphones. Forget using food delivery apps, she had reportedly never even used Google maps before starting work with Swiggy. For her, the ritzy restaurants in Alwarpet were completely unheard of. Today, she dons her delivery hat like a pro, making about Rs 3,000 a week from her orders — earning economic independence for herself and helping to finance her daughters’ education and dreams.
Jayalakshmi is the newest Akka on the block to be in a profession which, for years, was a tightly-guarded male fortress.
When M Vasanthakumari went to apply for a government job to drive heavy vehicles, the authorities were reportedly flummoxed. But for her, it was a question of the survival of her six children. Vasanthakumari’s relentless efforts paid off when she finally managed to meet late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after numerous unsuccessful attempts.
“I told her that I wanted to drive a bus. She was excited by the idea and asked the transport ministry officials to conduct an interview and forward the file to the CM’s office,” says Vasanthakumari.
So, at the age of 34, on March 30, 1993, Vasansthakumari created history by becoming Asia’s first woman bus driver and joined the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC). “During one test, they asked me to drive along the figure eight formation. When I started, all the officials ran to safety thinking I may drive in a haphazard manner,” she laughs.
When Vasanthakumari retired in April 2017 from service at TNSTC, she was one of the star drivers who had experience in roughing through the most arduous routes and emerging safely.
Kanchana Bhaskar started driving an auto in Chennai in March, 2014. However, life has been no bed of roses for this feisty woman since. She has been reportedly harassed every day by her male counterparts — they would throw away her auto keys, puncture the auto’s tyres, and also allegedly attempt to assault her.
However, her grit ensured that she did not give up.
And today, Chennai has an autorickshaw fleet of 50 vehicles — all manned, or should we say woman-ned, by young and middle-aged women.
If buses and autorickshaws were driven by women of middle and lower income group, then women hailing from a more privileged economic background are not behind. Red Bull racer Mira Erda is one of the two qualifiers from India to participate in the trials of the inaugural W Series. In 2017, she was the first female Indian driver to race in Euro JK series and is based in Chennai, training for the upcoming W Series.
Then there are the Penn (women) taxis in the iconic pink colour zooming in the streets of Chennai since 2014.
Nagomi, a former private security guard and now, a driver with Penn taxi, reportedly said, "I have suffered while riding in auto rickshaws. The drivers would smell of tobacco and sometimes, they would be drunk. Now I am glad I will be able to offer safe rides for women.”
The great poet Subramania Bharathi's words, and his dream of the empowered woman is indeed coming true in Chennai:
Nimirndha nan nadai naer konda paarvaiyum
Nilathil yaarkkum anjaatha nerigalum
Thimirndha gnana cherukkum iruppadhaal
Semmai maadhar thirambuvadhu illaiyaam
Her head held high, and looking at everyone straight in the eye,
Not afraid of anyone owing to her innate integrity,
Possessing assuredness born of courage of conviction,
Today's woman never feels inferior to any.