From housewife to e-rickshaw driver, Kashmiri woman rides toward financial freedom

I have been driving an e-rickshaw in Srinagar since 2022. I usually drive from Jahangir Chowk to Dal Gate, a popular tourist route. You will find me along this route, ferrying passengers and chatting with them. On weekends, I drive for a few hours in the morning. 

This work has brought me financial independence and a sense of empowerment. More importantly, it has allowed me to support my family, and I hope my earnings will ensure a bright future for my daughter Sauliha.

However, I didn’t start driving to fulfil a personal ambition. It was purely out of necessity, as we were facing severe financial hardship. I was born in Sopore and moved to my husband’s place in Chattabal after marriage. Back then, I was a housewife, spending most of my time at home.

My husband used to be a truck driver. He would spend long weeks away from home, and I felt the need for his support and company — if not for myself, then definitely for our daughter, who was born in 2019. 

There’s a story he loves to narrate to everyone, perhaps because it was the first time he got a glimpse of my true potential. One day, we drove in his truck to Haryana because I needed medical treatment that wasn’t available in Kashmir. As he drove along the highway, he started feeling tired and decided to stop for a brief nap. 

Although he was sleeping, deeply exhausted, he suddenly felt the truck in motion. He woke up and looked over to find me confidently driving along the highway. He had no idea I knew how to drive. I had learned how to drive cars and bikes at my parents’ home. I still remember the shock on his face, but he was impressed.

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Everyone’s life has its ups and downs, and mine was no different. My husband suffered a bad fall, fracturing his hip, which made it difficult for him to continue driving trucks due to the long hours of sitting. Around the same time, my father-in-law was diagnosed with a nervous system disorder, and suddenly, our medical bills started piling up. 

One day, my husband found out that his cousin had bought an e-rickshaw. He remembered my truck-driving skills and asked me if I’d want to try driving an e-rickshaw. I said yes. 

We practised driving along the highway — he would drive his truck, and I would follow in the same lane. In many ways, this is how it’s always been — he leads the way and protects me. I found driving the e-rickshaw easy because it’s similar to riding a bike. You just work with the accelerator and brakes. And so, my new journey began.

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We sold some of my gold ornaments and took out a loan from Jammu and Kashmir Bank to buy an e-rickshaw. In the following months, I received a lot of support from Munir Saab, from the auto drivers’ union in Srinagar. 

My husband made it clear that all the earnings from the e-rickshaw were mine — to spend or save as I saw fit. For now, most of the money goes toward paying off loans we took from banks and generous people when we were financially ruined.

I earn around Rs 1,000 a day, which supports my daughter’s schooling and my father-in-law’s medical needs.

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My husband and I have faced our share of criticism because of my work. Some people are shocked to see a woman driving passengers along a busy tourist route, while others smile and silently applaud me.

I feel safe driving along my daily route, thanks to the presence of traffic police, who can assist me if needed. However, the recent rise in the number of e-rickshaws in Srinagar does pose a challenge to my earnings.

I’ve always tried to do the honest thing, battling for survival with faith in god and the support of my well-wishers. I firmly believe that women need to achieve financial independence if they want to uphold their dignity. 

A supportive husband is just the icing on the cake. In the past two years, nearly 15 women —some widows, some single mothers — have reached out to me, asking me to teach them how to drive an e-rickshaw. They, too, want to improve the lives of their loved ones. I hope these women can not only change their own lives but also inspire change in society as a whole.

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