There is nothing in the world that can stop women from unlocking great feats in life. They are bound to go for maximums as ‘sky is the limit’ for them because they set high standards to carve out a reputation for themselves as successful persons. The story of Shanti Devi will substantiate our statements for sure.
She will always be remembered as the first woman Truck Mechanic in India, an occupation which only men are familiar with. However, Shanti Devi proved that gender is not a big deal. People are really stunned to see her doing this job where she is believed to be the only female Truck mechanic in India.
In a recent exclusive interview, Shanti Devi said that she finds it quite strange to see people looking at her with deep astonishment when she was handling and replacing truck tyres. The woman who does not stick to standards set by others said that there is no specific thing as a job for men or for women.
The fact that she has been doing her job with grit and determination helps her get along well with the work. “I find it quite strange to see people looking at me with surprise when I am replacing truck tyres. But to me, there’s no such thing as a job for men or a job for women exclusively. I believe in following my heart. I do not adhere to parameters set by others,” Shanti told Gulf News.
“My husband, Ram Bahadur and I are a team and I can say with confidence that I juggle my job and my household duties with ease. I am as comfortable cooking for the family and working on the sewing machine as I am fixing a punctured tyre at our workshop – AW-7, Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar (SGTN) in Delhi.”
Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar is so spacious that the area is estimated to be more than 75 acres and is reportedly the largest trucking stopover point in Asia. It is learnt that over 70,000 trucks are parked here at any given time and around 20,000 trucks pass by every day. At this place, the husband-wife combo gave a good outcome as they initially started their business with a tea shop.
The couple is getting famous on social media probably because of wife’s unique job. She works at workshop as well as at home. She has a schoolgoing daughter and wants to make her an IAS officer.
Shanti said, “Considering the tea shop’s success and its ideal location, opening a workshop made perfect sense. In the beginning, men would stare at me, probably wondering what I was doing in this stereotypically masculine profession, but things have changed. Nowadays, more women are starting to join their husbands by helping them run the family business.”
Shanti picked the brains of her husband and other mechanics to study automobiles and replacing tyres while at work. With tenacity and intensity to learn things, today she is now a better mechanic.”I believe a woman can do any job if she has a passion for it. Men still look at me with surprise and interest as I go about my job,” Shanti stated.
Shanti Devi who is an inspiration to many mechanics to come by said that she loves her job to the core. “I love my job. It’s hard, but I’d be bored if I sat at home and did nothing. Looking back, I can say that it has been an absolutely worthwhile experience. It does not bother me when people say that I must be one of the only female truck mechanics in India – I am proud of this,” she added.
