বাংলায় পড়ুন
There is a famous quote by American activist/Politician Eleanor Roosevelt, “ A Woman is like a tea bag- you can't tell her how strong she is until you put her in hot water”. The society is full of powerful woman taking charge of the city in every matter. Be it our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or our minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj, woman are re-defining power and making us proud. They represent the society in someway or the other.
For a woman the word “NO” doesn't exist in her dictionary. She can be anyone, can do anything, and endure any pain for her family. Be it a UNICEF activist or a simple bus driver, woman are everywhere.
Speaking of Bus drivers, there are scores of mini buses in Kolkata. Conductors are screaming about the destination while they hang dangerously on the bus footboard. But, there is one mini bus in the city of Joy that is quite different from the rest.
Well, we have heard stories about how woman Bus Driver in India driving with completes safety and following every rules and regulations. Similar to that, a mini bus on Nimta-Howrah route is driven by Pratima poddar. Yes, she is a woman bus-driver and a mother of 2 kids. The 40 years old, has been driving the bus six years now and she has perfectly excelled in her job.
What is more commendable is the fact that this “daredevil” lady driver has driven for six years without any single accident ever. Back in 2011, her husband (Shibeswar) met with an accident and was bedridden. Unable to find any employment, Pratima took the role of the bus driver. She took the job and made her husband proud. Pratima learned how to drive out of sheer passion at a very young age. With the help of her husband, she learnt how to drive, and drove from Birati to Howah throughout the day. A sergeant at Howrah identified her and praised her not just for her driving skills, but for the fact that she never picks and drops passengers on the run. He even stated that she is a benchmark for all the bus-drivers.
When asked how she deals with this difficult situation, she smiled and said, “Yes, it is difficult to stay in the profession but how you deal with the situation is the most important thing”.
