Veena Hampapur: In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we introduced you to Mohana Sundari, a 39-year-old woman residing with her daughter in Chennai, India. Where we left off, Mohana was struggling to cobble together her income, and was frustrated that she hadn’t been able to create a lasting profitable business. She decides to pursue driving an auto rickshaw professionally.
Saba Waheed: Many people, even in India, don’t know that women auto drivers like Mohana exist, much less the challenges they face or what they dream of.
Veena Hampapur: In Chennai, there are close to 100,000 autos and 400 of them are driven by women. What’s interesting is that at least twice as many women actually have a license and badge but they are unable to drive because their husbands or in-laws don’t approve.
Saba Waheed: In this final episode, Mohana shares what it’s like to be an auto driver in a male dominated industry, and her path to becoming the president of a union focused on empowering women in non-traditional sectors.
Saba Waheed: From the UCLA Labor Center, this is Re:Work. I’m Saba Waheed.
Veena Hampapur: And I’m Veena Hampapur.
Saba Waheed: Mohana had a lot to learn about the auto industry, starting with how to pick up passengers.
Mohana Sundari: It used to be that you could just park near a bus stand and get hired for rides – now that’s not possible. You have to register through ride-sharing apps like Ola or Uber. I borrowed fifteen thousand rupees, bought an Android phone, inserted a SIM, connected to Ola and Uber, and rented an auto to drive. I’m telling you, I’ve driven all sorts of vehicles, but when I started driving the auto, my hand was in so much pain. In just three days, my hands had become completely sore with blisters all over. I was initially unaware of the logistics involved in picking up passengers. I would go and pick up customers from two to three kilometers away. Then the petrol would be consumed. Time would be wasted. I didn’t know all this.
When I was driving, I used to see all the auto drivers waiting in line. That’s how I met other lady drivers. We had a WhatsApp group to help each other get rides. We began learning the right techniques to earn more during peak hours. Having an auto stand is crucial because it provides a designated place for us to wait and connect with customers, and even a place to eat. But lady drivers haven’t found a way to make that happen yet. Right now, we rely on Ola and Uber, which don’t give us a proper spot. Wherever we go, we’re told, “Move aside, move aside.”
Saba Waheed: I was really surprised app companies like Uber were managing rides for autoricksaw drivers.
Veena Hampapur: Oh me too, me too.
Saba Waheed: That of course changes so many other aspects of the conditions, so it might connect you to the passenger but it also cuts into your take home pay and her actual costs.
Veena Hampapur: Other women drivers encouraged Mohana to take a salaried job with the M Auto company.
Mohana Sundari: Someone came up with an idea to organize pick-up and drop-off services, and we were all on board. But when the owner said we were incurring losses because the demand wasn’t there, my team immediately started complaining about not getting paid. I decided to address the situation directly with the owner. I said, “Those who invest and do business, whether there is profit or loss, it’s the owner who has to bear it. But we can see that we are not getting many rides. So, 50:50! You give half the money you talked about.”
He just looked at me and then finally said “Okay, I will give it.” The other drivers all reacted, “Why did you speak like that? You could have gotten all the money.” I said, “Think about it reasonably. We did not have enough rides, should we take all the money now?”
Saba Waheed: When COVID hit, the auto industry was put on hold. The M Auto owner reached out to Mohana with another opportunity.
Mohana Sundari: I was approached to help provide food for those in need. I was happy to take on this work, even though I wouldn’t get much payment. Because of coronavirus, everyone is sitting at home like jail inmates, right? I don’t like staying at home. I was one of the few lady auto drivers during the lockdown. My landlord expressed concern about the risk of me spreading the virus, and asked me to stop. I asked, “Your son is also going out, right?” Immediately, he said, “Men go out to many places. My son has a government job”. So I replied, “Only men can go out, right? And somehow they will not spread the virus! But when I go out, you say I will spread the virus.” I said that to his face and left.
During the COVID period, I found joy in helping others. I was working while others were not. I cooked with the vegetables I had and shared the leftovers with friends, especially those who were auto drivers in my area. It felt good to support them.
Veena Hampapur: The limitations on the auto industry stemming from the pandemic were lifted. But Mohana was laid off from M Auto after business began to decline. She was back to driving a rented auto and she felt disheartened.
Saba Waheed: The women drivers were contemplating forming a union to access better government support when an existing union reached out to them.
Mohana Sundari: A union called CIT said they value women’s participation and are willing to elevate us to leadership positions at the state level. I said, “The ladies can be on their own. We don’t need a gents group at all. If we go there, they’ll talk about men, men, men. No matter how elevated we are, they will still say that we are just women and talk badly.” In the end, our group did attend some meetings when invited, but beyond public appearances, like raising flags at events, we didn’t really receive any actual support or benefits.
The senior members suggested we officially register as a union without CIT. I was made the deputy secretary. I suggested many ideas but I didn’t know how to implement them fully. I often questioned the seniors’ decisions, which created many clashes among us. During internal conflicts, people kept making promises but never followed through. Fear spread that if a union or welfare association existed, there would be no work. Men’s groups tried to get the women to join them. We kept accepting help from NGOs who would use us, then returning what we got; nothing was lasting.
Veena Hampapur: It turned out the union was not registered correctly, and the drivers would need to go through the process all over again. Mohana was frustrated on multiple levels.
Saba Waheed: We really saw her break out of, kind of, social, familial norms and oppressions. Then we see her journey in having to also deal with patriarchy and sexism in the workplace. But now that fight is not just for herself.
Veena Hampapur: One major point of contention was whether the union should be limited to auto drivers or open to women across industries. Mohana firmly believed in the latter.
Mohana Sundari: In many fields, in many places where I worked, I saw that women are struggling, right? The thing we are doing should suit many women. An example is, an auto driver, a Swiggy driver, workers at petrol bunks, in home nursing – I want to include all of them. That’s my thought. In 2023, we celebrated Women’s Day. There we discussed the possibility of setting up Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), a progress union where many women would come in and transgender women would be included too. Eventually, we agreed to split up. I would run the progress union, and others would handle the auto union. Soon, 120 people joined me. They liked my ideas of benefiting not just auto drivers, but others too.
Veena Hampapur: Mohana expanded the union’s outreach to women in the gig economy, including those working in sanitation, home nursing, and delivery services.
Mohana Sundari: Whether it is a high paying job, or a sweepers job, or a driver’s job, or any level, there should be a feeling similar to saying ‘I got a government job, so I will have peace until I die.’ My goal is for women to get this feeling through the union. After two or three union meetings, I started thinking, ‘Why should Ola or Uber earn money by using us? We should also be the owners, not just the workers’. If Ola or Uber charge a hundred rupees for a ride, twenty or thirty rupees go as commission to them. We don’t need that. Instead, as a cooperative, we can enter into contracts with the government or private companies, and also own the vehicles. We can fund ourselves using our own resources.
Veena Hampapur: Mohana starts thinking about the possibility of forming a cooperative in addition to the union. The union was a means to fight for workers’ rights and the cooperative would give the drivers ownership over their work.
Saba Waheed: Winning contracts would mean not having to always deal with the rideshare companies or haggling over fares with passengers. The job would be more structured with drivers having set schedules, wages,and benefits.
Mohana Sundari: When an ambulance is running, it’s men who are driving, right? If we go to a government office or an IT company, there is a vendor for driving, and they hire a male driver. So, we women want to take part in that. By collaborating and getting involved in transport-related work, we can improve our livelihoods. I believe that if women from various fields come together in a cooperative, it can really make a difference. Right now, when we approach banks for loans, they often dismiss auto drivers. But if we form a cooperative, we can have a stronger voice. We can address everyone’s needs and create better opportunities for all of us.
Saba Waheed: Everything Mohana does is always about building and building more.
Veena Hampapur: Absolutely.
Saba Waheed: First, she supports a union for drivers and realizes it’s got to expand and she expands it to other industries. She then works to build the progress union, and is like well that’s not enough – we should build a cooperative. So she pursues that.
Veena Hampapur: Yeah. And in 2024, Mohana and her colleagues travel to Kerala to participate in a major pitch competition that’s focused on cooperative entrepreneurship. Mohana shares the story of women auto drivers in Chennai and how creating a cooperative and an app for women drivers would help address their struggles.
Mohana Sundari: We weren’t expecting to win since everyone had great plans with detailed systems and we struggled with English. They selected ten people, then five, then three, and then to our surprise, we won first prize. Since winning our members have gained a lot of confidence. They joke, ‘It’s okay, people in our town don’t listen to us, but people from outside do.’ But within that joke, there’s a lot of happiness. We’ve gone through so much in life. But despite all that, we achieved something like this. After winning the pitch competition, many auto drivers began joining us. We have just started to win, but we haven’t finished winning yet. Ah. How to say it? Our thought to succeed is itself our victory, right? To even say I can do it. We don’t know how far we will go. But we have confidence that we can do it.
Saba Waheed: The women drivers came up with a plan for picking up passengers that bypassed the issue of male drivers dominating auto stands.
Mohana Sundari: For the lady auto drivers, we have now asked for a pickup point at the metro stations. There is a metro in every area. At each pickup point, there can be five or ten autos available. We don’t need them at the bus stand or at the railway station. Let it be for gents. Why should we go there and fight?
Saba Waheed: The city decided to create women-only pick-up spots at three metro stations, with plans to expand.
Veena Hampapur: The majority of women driving autos in Chennai are single parents or sole breadwinners like Mohana. Driving gives them the opportunity to provide for their families and also care for their children.
Mohana Sundari: The auto business helped me, especially when I was facing losses in all my other businesses. I used to earn a decent amount daily and could take days off. I had multiple jobs, so the income from driving gave me the flexibility and financial support I needed. In our team, there are those who have completed single or double degrees, those who were teachers, police officers – everyone is now working as auto drivers. The reason for this is that in some situations, your husband passes away. In some situations, your husband leaves and divorces you. Without the right qualifications, wherever you go, the salary is low.
What I’m saying is that having an auto is essential for their livelihood. In the morning, they drop the kids to school themselves. After that, they earn by driving for Uber and Ola. In the evening, they bring the kids back home from school. After dropping them at tuition, they go back to driving the auto. If there’s a wedding or death, they call their children and go to that function in the same auto. This job offers a sense of comfort, especially for single parents.
Veena Hampapur: Mohana has this empathy and this understanding that many women are just one tragedy away from having their lives turned upside down, or struggling to make ends meet. And it’s a reality that resonates here in the US too, though too often the blame falls on individuals instead of recognizing the precariousness of our social systems.
Saba Waheed: When Mohana first earned her badge, she chose not to pursue driving because of fears around security. These days, she feels that the industry is much safer.
Mohana Sundari: Ten years ago, they used to scare us saying there was no safety for driving an auto. A lot has changed. We have an app launched by the police. If we open that app and shake the mobile, they can monitor the place where we are. We also set up automatic GPS. If there’s some accident or if someone is scolding us vulgarly, immediately our association is there to support us. We have a procedure for that, we have a lawyer with us. Whether it’s with the police or any issue, our union supports us.
Veena Hampapur: The auto industry is slowly changing, and Mohana and her colleagues hope that more women will join. She continues to organize skills-building workshops centered on driving, financial literacy, and safety. She advocates for better work and living conditions as well as professional recognition for women in the cooperative.
Mohana Sundari: Now some new women, those who have finished college, are coming and asking if there are part-time jobs in the driving field. Right now, there’s no suitable funding for training them. Otherwise, we could say this is a good thing and bring them in. Then the outcome is the driving field will come to be a good, respectable place. Drivers are often spoken of in a very negative way. Even for women doing household work, there is a certain level of respect. But when it comes to drivers, they ask, “Are you equal to the men?” This is how they speak”. Female auto drivers deserve respect. It is essential that everyone understands we are in this for our livelihood.
Saba Waheed: Mohana and her fellow drivers participated in a multimedia training, so that they could learn to publicize their stories.
Mohana Sundari: People are shocked to learn there are so many of us, and I’ve been in this profession for years without realizing how many women have been driving autos. During the 5-day workshop, many people shared their stories. It made me realize just how many challenges we still face. If we learn to use media, we can be seen.
Veena Hampapur: One of the exercises was rewriting a song from a famous movie about a male auto driver. The women rewrote it — from their perspective.
Mohana Sundari: We each contributed a line to the auto song without overthinking it. Ideas flowed naturally. Our thought was, we are the queens of the auto, and we should be the queens of everything. Not just in our house or with our auto – we should be the queens of this world. No one should be a slave to anyone. Some men still think of women like this, but they should think of us as equals. They should see us as queens.
Saba Waheed: So what does a day in the life of Mohana look like these days?
Mohana Sundari: In the morning, I am giving food to my daughter. After that, I will do Ola, Uber if I get rides. Old customers might call me for facials, bleaching, or hair cutting. In between, people in the community will tell me about their problems. Everyone says they have no work. So, I will use the contacts I have to help them find work. If anyone needs a loan, I will share my contact. I will handle the quarrels and other issues in the community too. For the union, I will collect documents and plan what to do next. In between all this, I will also drive the auto. I don’t have enough time, but I just try to keep everything running smoothly.
No matter how much I haven’t lived the life I wanted, I have to make sure I see it happen through my daughter. I used to say, start a business or start working while studying, and she would say, “You just stay quiet mom. Are you telling me to be clueless like you too? Always going on about ‘business, business’? Tell me, Why can’t I get a regular job, earn twenty thousand rupees, come home peacefully?”
So I ask her: “You’re earning twenty thousand a month, but your expenses are thirty thousand. What will you do then?” She said, “I will think about how to run a family with twenty thousand rupees.” She keeps thinking that everything will be fine if she just lowers her expectations, but that’s not how life works. There’s so much she has to learn. I want to buy a house for her, find a good life partner for her; it’s not just my dream, it’s also my duty.
Veena Hampapur: Mohana has many hopes for her daughter, and many dreams for the women in her union too.
Mohana Sundari: I often feel isolated, without anyone to share my struggles with, but I’m determined to find solutions for others, even when I’m not financially stable. Women need to develop. This union needs to reach a high level. We were the first to start a worker owned cooperative in the driving field. In the future many such associations should be opened, and many people’s livelihoods should improve.
Life is about moving forward, regardless of circumstances. We should also take a moment to pause and reflect on our successes, allowing ourselves to relax and recharge our minds. I have faced a lot of struggles, but if you see my relaxation… ah, it’s driving. Even if I’m very tense, I just put on a song, drive a little fast for a few rounds, and when I come back, I feel relaxed. I also like to race, but I have crossed the age for that.
It’s not about what others think we should do; it’s about our own journey. We can learn at our own pace. Education isn’t everything. Life or marriage doesn’t need to be set right. We don’t need support from our father or mother. Whatever it is, we should keep moving to the next, next, next. I didn’t study. That’s okay. After that, I tried to do a lot of business, but I couldn’t do that either. But if I can provide a livelihood for many women through this union, I believe that will fulfill everything.
***
Veena Hampapur: Back in Part 1, Mohana mentioned that as a kid, she had looked up to Vijayashanti, who was this trailblazing actress who took on action roles that were normally only given out to men. She rose to fame playing action heroes and women fighting for justice on the big screen. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense, right, like that this is who Mohana was looking up to. This just made me think about the role model I’m seeing here; if you ask me, it’s Mohana. She’s this fierce feminist icon.
Saba Waheed: Yes, I agree.
Veena Hampapur: She’s always had this ability to envision living life in a different way, on her own terms.
Saba Waheed: Yeah. She’s a natural leader and she’s like a born fighter, and she takes that into the workplace.
Veena Hampapur: She always keeps moving forward and trying out new things regardless of limited resources and personal losses and professional setbacks.
Saba Waheed: The thing that like really pops out in this story is she has such a powerful entrepreneur spirit. That she would go from organizing workers to wanting to build a business model for workers makes sense because she’s always had a dream of being her own boss.
Veena Hampapur: Yeah. Mohana also makes a point to say it’s okay to make mistakes or face setbacks, it’s okay if you don’t have what’s considered the right background – just keep going. I don’t think we get that message enough, especially for girls and women, so I just love that she put that out there so plainly because I don’t think we can be told that enough.
Saba Waheed: I think this story really shows us the expansiveness of the experience of South Asian women and South Asian working class women. And Mohana, I know for myself, is absolutely inspiring.
Veena Hampapur: So this is why I think she is the feminist icon here.
Saba Waheed: And somebody should make a movie about her so that she can inspire young girls like Vijayashanti did for her.
Veena Hampapur: Yeah it was just beautiful hearing her story. I felt this one in my bones Saba.
Saba Waheed: I, I did too.
Veena Hampapur: Yeah.
Saba Waheed: Yeah.
Credits
Our sincerest thanks to Mohana Sundari for sharing her story. And a special thank you to ECTE, Empowering Communities Through Education, for connecting us with Mohana, conducting her interview in Tamil, and translating it to English.
To learn more about ECTE, and to see photos and videos of Mohana and her colleagues, please visit www.ectefoundation.org. And to learn more about women driving autorickshaws in Chennai, see our show notes for resources.
You’re listening to Re:Work, a production of the UCLA Labor Center. This episode was produced by Veena Hampapur, PS Vaishnavi, Vijay Gnanaprasad, and Saba Waheed. Sound design and editing by Veena Hampapur. Mixing by Aaron Dalton. Mohana was portrayed by Anne Akhila. This episode includes music by Elephants with Guns. Host and actor recording at Pink Cloud Studios.
Until next time, rethink, rework.