Since the dawn of civilization, all the rugged work has been assigned and associated with men at large. Of them performing hard manual labor like that of working as a mechanic in a repair shop is something really out of the question for women. Yet this thought and stereotype have been challenged by a woman from Telangana who works at an automobile garage.
One Yedalapally Adilaxmi of Telangana who lives in a remote village in Bhadradri Kothagudem in Telangana has proved that women can do any work despite their oddities.
Adilaxmi runs a small garage in Sujatha Nagar (Telangana) where she fixes flat tyres of not just motorcycles but also of cars, tractors, and even trucks. The garage is co-owned by her husband Bhadram and the duo is parents to two children. Post her marriage, Bhadram taught her the work and she has learned it all in the past five years.
People have a general perception of women being weak and unskilled for such kind of work and so those who came to the shop were initially reluctant. They were literally shocked to see a woman lifting the heavy tires and doing the kind of work that is traditionally done by men. But her undeterred dedication and expertise brought in acceptance.
With this, she has become the first woman mechanic in Telangana.
“I always felt helpless and disappointed when customers came to the store in his absence because I could not repair the holes. I used to feel depressed by not paying attention to the work that was coming to our doorstep, as we had lost income. I started thinking why I cannot do it. I made a start with small things like filling the air in the tyres and as my interest grew and I gained confidence, there was no looking back,” told Adilaxmi to Deccan News.
Today when anyone in her village has a flat tyre, she is there to fix it.
This may be a very ordinary job but Adilaxmi has made it extraordinary.