NEW DELHI: In the “masculine realm” that is Ghazipur sabzi mandi, the name ‘Didi’ has stuck.“Baap banke kamaya, maa banke bachon ko khilaya (as father, I’ve earned; as mother, I’ve fed my children),” Suman, better known as ‘Didi’, says, hurriedly gathering her belongings as she starts her e-rickshaw. She must make two more trips today – ferrying a variety of produce from suppliers to shop-owners and retailers in the bustling Ghazipur Sabzi Mandi – before she can return home with her day’s earnings.As business in the mandi moves in full swing, a sea of men move in and out of the frame – touting, shouting, buying, bickering, haggling, and cursing.In the predominently male bastion, one can miss the 12-odd women rickshaw drivers. But they are very much present, towing the weight of the magnanimous enterprise on 2-inch-wide wheels as they keep mandi operations running.Suman, a 46-year-old widow, was once the first woman e-rick driver in the mandi. Recalling how she came upon the livelihood, his face turned grim. “After my husband died in an accident, I worked at a factory to make ends meet. But my back failed to keep up. My father and brother helped me set up a small vegetable stall. It was during this time, I began learning to drive father’s auto,” Suman says.Amid challenges, she wears smileTragedy struck again in 2017 when her elder son passed away in a road accident. However, Suman persevered, perhaps solely driven by the need to support her younger son.
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