Sara Hussain: What It’s Like To Be a Woman Truck Driver In India

By Dilip -
Riding around on a motorcycle, giving orders to men that are at her beck and call; Sherna Dastur introduces us to Manjuben, in her documentary ‘Manjuben Truck Driver.’ Chewing on beetle nut mix while cruising through the wilds of the country in her truck, Manjuben breaks all the popular gender stereotypes. Working in a profession that’s dominated by men, she runs her own trucking business in hometown Mansa, in Gurjrat; describing herself as ‘half Shiva-half Shakti’ as she puts up a poster of the same on the wall of her office. 

In a rigid and patriarchal society, she has constructed her own gender identity as a smooth-talking and hard-looking macho truck driver, not allowing herself to be tagged simply as male or female. Called ‘big daddy’ at home, she’s just ‘one of the guys’ hanging out at the local paanshop, joking around and slapping each other on the back. Relaxing with other truckers at dhabas along her routes, she wears men’s clothes and has short hair; with grace and an attitude that commands not only acceptance from her peers, but also their respect.

In the documentary, Dastur takes us on an intimate journey with Manju, as she travels familiar yet unsafe routes, in alternating shifts that last close to 12 hours. On certain roads, dacoits pelt stones at passing trucks, in hopes of the truck driver stopping and disembarking to investigate; that’s when they attack, “they rob and murder for money - we drive for money,” Manju says, but she never slows down. Even after her truck gets damaged or she’s physically harmed, she brushes it off, drinks a beer and moves on with her consignment.


Not fully understanding the meaning of marriage, Manju was wedded at the age of 16. Six days later she divorced her husband, who expected her to be home-bound completing the ‘duties of a good wife,’ but Manju wasn’t one to stay put. Her dream was to travel and earn money, and she enjoyed driving trucks from an early age. In time, she bought a truck, which soon grew into eight trucks and a full fledged business of her own.. read more:
https://homegrown.co.in/article/41923/a-woman-truck-driver-in-india-manjuben-defies-gender-stereotypes-in-this-documentary

Another story about trucks.. You Say You Want a Revolution

Revolution Highway



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