Driven by courage, she did it her way

AHMEDABAD, DEC 29: Meandering through a dusty Charodi road a Matador van screeches to a halt. Passengers silently go up to the driver and...

AHMEDABAD, DEC 29: Meandering through a dusty Charodi road a Matador van screeches to a halt. Passengers silently go up to the driver and hand over the fare. But something about the scene seems to be awfully amiss. And just as you look around for an answer, a frail figure clad in a salwar kameez peeps from behind the steering wheel.

Shameem Bano8217;s story is not just about a woman in a man8217;s seat. It is about emancipation, struggle and a fight for equality. Thirty-five-year-old Pathan Shameem Khan has been driving this unromantic vehicle for five years now, ferrying troublesome villagers from liquor-free villages to their respective destinations, tackling sexual harassments, and yes, leaving her stamp on a traditionally male bastion.

But Shameem 8211; a small woman with a rather loud voice 8211; had seen better days. Coming from a family of zamindars 8211; her grandfather was the ADC to the nawab of Palanpur 8211; who owned Changa village in Panapur district. Shameem herself is responsible for her fate which she 8220;neitherregrets, nor minds.8221;

Living alone for the last 12 years since her husband deserted her, Shameem Bano left home for love. Her family had problems with the man she loved she doesn8217;t want to involve him though and it wasn8217;t easy convincing her mother, seven brothers and two sisters otherwise. So she did what she thought was right. 8220;After all, we live only once. I did what I thought was right at that time. I don8217;t regret what I have done. Destiny is destiny.8221;

But courage alone was not enough to fight destiny. She needed enterprise and hard work to triumph over it.

8220;Though in my scheme of things there is no such word as impossible, I have had to work hard to build this home, to reach where I am today,8221; says Shameem, waving at drivers in passing trucks and buses. 8220;I have done all kinds of petty businesses like making kites, delivering milk, doing dalali for real estate agents. Everything.8221;

But it is easy to see that her tenacity and belief in herself has paid. Today her son Mustakib ShameemKhan Pathan goes to an English medium boarding school, owns a house and two vehicles and is in a position to help her family. She commands immense respect in Vejalpur and nearby places. So much that people come to her with their problems. 8220;I solve a lot of cases in my free time,8221; she says, adding with a hint of pride, 8220;they listen to me, though at times I also have to be a little harsh.8221;

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But women drivers ferrying unruly passengers can8217;t do without bravado and pluck. Shameem who carries a hockey stick and an iron rod beat up the first few men who tried acting fresh with her. Since then things have been rather smooth. 8220;No one takes panga with me anymore. In fact the villagers themselves see to it that others don8217;t create problems for me. The police too have been very nice and helpful to me,8221; she smiles.

Perhaps the only woman driver in Gujarat who does 8220;shuttle service8221; Shameema, who has taught over 100 girls to drive all kinds of vehicles, today lives for her son. He has become the8220;maqsad8221; of her existence, though there are a thousand and one things on her mind.

And just as she climb into her grimy driver8217;s seat she gives a parting shot. 8220;God has blessed us with one life. We shouldn8217;t shame him by wasting it,8221; she says.

Shameem Bano needn8217;t worry about that. God too must be waving at her as her Matador zooms by. After all, she is Mother Courage behind wheels.