What makes this story about Sanam Nazeer stand out from among many other women drivers, who are quite a few these days, is her tryst with long haul taxi driving and her fierce belief in and commitment to gender equality.
Not having gone beyond Standard 7, the 37-year-old Sanam Nazeer, a resident of Puttur, has been driving families to distant places like Mumbai and Delhi, since six years. Her story is one of optimism, tenacity and the encouragement and support of her family – an inspiration for many of us waiting in the shadows of life.
The learning curve!
She first learnt driving from her father at the age of 13. She took the possibly inherited skill, seriously, about six years ago to support her family. “My father was a driver, I used to wash the car as a child and help him in petty works, and he used to take me on tours. He however never made me work but I used to work in the car or watch him drive, out of my own interest” says Sanam.
She continued, “ My father never allowed me to drive the car, even under his guidance for two reasons I suspect: I was considered small, and the car did not belong to us. My father used to just drive it. However gradually I picked up this skill and there were times when I have stealthily driven the car, just to fulfill my passion.”
Sanam’s life has always revolved around her passion for driving. However unlike Michael Schumacher, it became her lifeline in times of difficulty. Read on and be inspired
Tying the knot…early
In accordance with tradition here, Sanam Nazeer got married early. “I got married at the age of 18. I did not want to get married then, as my elder sister had just got married and my father had a lot of loan to pay off. However when my brother got a proposal, I was compelled to marry my sister-law’s brother”. Time heals all wounds though. And an unwilling bride is now a happily married woman.
The dignity of labor
Sanam never considered herself unequal to men in any aspect of life. And, luckily for her, she always found support for her views and actions in line with this belief, from her own family and the one she married into. Three-months after her wedding at the age of 18, she took up a labor’s job at her own house. “My husband’s family was poor. We had bought a small piece of land to construct a well but as we could not afford labor, I along with the men in my family started digging it up. That was my first job”, she proudly says.
Sanam believes that work cannot be segregated according to gender. She says, “if you work with dignity and work hard without fear, nothing can stop you”. Sanam says that people in the locality criticized her for doing jobs usually assigned to men, but her first priority was to overcome her poverty, and she never felt at any time that she was incapable of doing any job, so long as her earnings did not compromise her self respect.
Sanam said, “My husband used do centering or other petty jobs of houses around the area. I used to go along with my husband and help him with all the works. There were times when he could not come and I did these works on my own. During that time we came across a man who offered us a job in a wood workshop which we accepted. There, I used to do cutting, carving and all such other works. After a year I delivered a child and got engaged in nurturing him however I continued to work at this workshop for 8-years.”
Life’s trials overtake
Even as odd jobs and working at the wood workshop gave her a minimal income, her trials began to overtake her. Sanam says, “My father died, my mother was very ill. Later, she died of brain tumor. Poverty frowned upon us and my child was small, so I left that job in the hope that something better would come along”. Sanam says that, there were times that her family only ate once a day. They lived with a lot of difficulty and to survive and sustain her family, she took up various jobs, her belief in herself and her enthusiasm, never flagging.
Destiny smiles
It was at this point, life took a turn for the better. Her hard work, dignity of labor, sincerity, and strong will to learn, finally paid off in the form of a smile from above. “I met a person named Kamat sir in 2001, he told me about PACL India limited, and encouraged me to join as a finance agent. After I joined, I was given a target, which I was motivated to achieve, by the offer of a car as an award. Fortunately, I achieved my target and was awarded with the car.
This was almost 10 years ago, and Sanam still revels in recalling the moment.
Always drawn by things mechanical, and jobs that were traditionally in the male domain, Sanam, decided to drive the car herself. She had the skill and her father’s example before her. “Many people advised me against it, and suggested that I rent out the car, but I declared that my father was a driver, so I myself can drive a car. I was confident”, said Sanam.
Driving around
Thus, Sanam Nazeer started working as a part time passenger vehicle driver and a full time agent of PACL. Gradually she started taking families on long tours to many places in India. Sanam preens, when she claims that can drive for 22 hours at a stretch without rest. She is also very proud of her driving record. “I have never met with an accident in all my 24-years of driving” she claimed.
Her current concern is however the lack of a tourist driver’s badge which would help her earn more. “My only concern is obtaining a tourist driver’s badge. I have studied only up to class seven. The new rules require an SSLC-pass to obtain the badge,” she said and hoped for some relaxation in this regard by the authorities concerned based on her record.
A star on whom fellow stars had not shined on for long, began to twinkle in its own light.
Happy ending
The district administration felicitated Sanam Nazeer, for helping road accident victims at the inaugural of the 26th National Road Safety Week earlier this month.
Sanam is a good soul say people from her locality. She frequently helps accidents victims, something many don’t do for fear of subsequent harassment by the authorities. Sanam says, “I am poor and I know the meaning of being in need, many times in accidents, I help the victims and help them in any way possible”.
As we part company, Sanam returns to her favorite theme “ I believe that there are no male or female oriented jobs. I have never limited myself by these dictums’. Work is available everywhere. If you have the will you can do anything”.
Truly, truly inspiring.
