Breaking barriers, 21-year-old female auto driver takes to road in J-K

Breaking the stereotypes, 21-year-old Banjeet Kaur from Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir is driving an auto-rickshaw to help her father to earn living.

"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 said.

Speaking to , Banjeet said that she is continuing her studies too as 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 happy that Banjeet drives as she is able to impact the lives of many.

"I too know how to drive," Davinder said.

"The girls can excel in every field. They can choose their profession depending on their will," said Sardar Gorakh Singh, father of Banjeet.

"After I lost my job during the lockdown, my daughters asked me to teach them to drive auto-rickshaw. I supported them," he added.

"Girls like Banjeet Kaur, who is driving auto-rickshaw to support her father, is an example for society," said Rachana Sharma, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Udhampur.

"When I was transferred as ARTO at Udhampur, I started a campaign called 'Girls can drive' under which several girls were trained to drive," Rachana added.

( With inputs from ANI )