By Phaomei Ganmeilu
IMPHAL, February 3: Laibi Oinam of Pangei Bazaar belongs to a rare breed of women in the state who drives to earn a living even though it was her circumstances that led her to become an auto driver inorder to be able to look after her sick husband and two young sons.
The 47 year old belies her frail looking appearance as she steps into the male domain of driving a public transport vehicle in the state and is testimony of her determination to eke a living inspite of the “questioning and sometimes mocking looks” as she drives her autorickshaw from Khundrakpam to Khwairamband Bazaar, which is her daily service route.
Laibi Oinam, wife of Rajendro Oinam is probably the first and only known woman auto driver in the state.
During a brief chat with this IFP reporter, Laibi said she stepped into the profession in November 2011.
“My day starts at 9am everyday after finishing all the household activities for the morning and return back home at around 5pm in the evening,” she said.
Recounting her earlier days, she said she was a labourer in a brick field before she got to drive her three-wheeler.
Five years into her marriage, her husband became ill and the responsibility to earn for the family fell on her and she started working as a daily labourer at a brick field.
Since the wages she could garner in a day by toiling the whole day at a brickfield was not enough for her to sustain the needs of her two school going kids and an ailing husband, she started looking at what she could take up to earn a better livelihood.
“I knew how to drive a NV Scooter and soon realized that I could put it to good use and earn enough money if I ran an auto service.”
Laibi ended up buying herself an auto rickshaw with the money she had saved from her “marups” through small time money collection between friends and family.
She now makes three to and fro trips along her route daily and earns about Rs 300-400 which is a lot better than she used to earn as a labourer. “Even though the amount of money I earn has increased since the days I worked as a labourer, it is still not enough to buy medicines for my husband and to cover expenses for my two school going students,” added Laibi whose elder son is now studying in Class X and the younger, in Class VII.
Expressing satisfaction with her job, she said being a woman, she too feels like staying at home with her family as a wife and mother but added that it is satisfying to feel that her family is not dependent on anyone else.
Laibi also noted, “If everyone start doing what we can for the society in an honest way, with the understanding that even if we are the one facing all the difficulties and burdens we are doing it for the next generation, then only can we bring a more peaceful and developed society.”
She further added that now that her two sons are growing up they have sometimes urged her leave her occupation and start something else but she had always explains to them by saying that she was doing her job as a parent for their future.