By Okram Bimol
IMPHAL, January 14: In a state where there are market sheds reserved only for women vendors, there is no lack of exemplary women in any field or line of work. Women of the state have always stood firm whenever their responsibilities towards their families beckon and have never shied away from toiling hard for their families.
For 45 year old Soibam Radhamani, working alongside her husband at his scooter workshop has never been an extraordinary venture for it helps her earn her extra money to feed her family of two children, his husband and herself.
Hailing from Wangjing Sokha Leikai and currently staying at Thokchom Leikai with her children at a rented house along with her husband, Radhamani took to working as a mechanic, nimbly fixing vehicles after observing her husband at work. ” When I started out, I set out only by washing and polishing the vehicles that my husband had finished repairing. I learnt by observing what he was doing.”
Recounting how she was earlier into making handmade items such as dolls, cloths before her marriage, Radhamani said, “I have always liked to create something or make something with my hands and find it difficult to sit idle. After her marriage, she grew bored since `all I had to do was cook and look after the children` and started helping her husband from 2004 onwards. “It was the best thing to do or I would have remained sitting idle and gossiping away,” she said pointing out that when people sit idle and remain useless, they become targets for being used in anti-social behavior.
The couple`s earnings take care of the family besides covering the cost of the daughter studying at Sika School in 3rd standard and her son in Day Night School in Nursery standard. ” My only fear is that I may not be able to fulfill the needs of my children,” said Radhamani while expressing hope that she would one day, earn enough to buy more sophisticated tools to repair vehicles and to be able to get a proper place for opening a vehicle repair shop.
Currently, Radhamani is an expert in repairing mopeds and scooters except bikes which she has yet to start with. Swelling with pride, she says that she is a `total expert` in applying vehicle paint. When asked if she has learnt to drive any vehicle, she smiled and said, “I know the techniques in theory but I have never driven a vehicle because my husband won`t allow it! He says, the roads today are full of crazy drivers!”