Pooja Devi is the first woman bus driver in J&K

On December 25, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Ind Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region tweeted a picture from his Twitter handle of a woman sitting in a bus and posing with 'V 'as victory signs.  

Singh, who is also Minister of State at the Prime Minister’s office, wrote, “Proud to have from district #Kathua, #JammuAndKashmir, the first woman bus driver Pooja Devi.”

His tweet is a mark of respect and recognition for a woman from a small district Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, who chose to enter into a profession that is considered to be male-dominated.

This is not a small achievement too. Pooja had to fight against all odds, prominent among them was stiff opposition from his in-law's families who never wanted her to become a bus driver.

But Pooja, who is approaching 40, was determined to defy all these arguments that a woman can’t do a particular job just because it is considered to be a male-dominated field.

She says that when women can become pilots, join the army, fly fighter planes and enter into all those areas which used to be seen as male-dominated, what’s wrong with taking up the profession of bus driving.

Pooja was a trainer at the transport authority but she felt that she didn’t earn enough to support her family. Out of the financial needs, she decided to become a bus driver.

She says that male drivers respect the fact that a woman has come into driving and even many passengers cheer for her.

She earns a lot of respect from passengers who travel in her bus from Kathua to Jammu and back and she feels quite satisfying helping people reach their desired destination.

Since the day she has entered into the profession of bus driving, her popularity is growing and she is becoming a household name in the state.