Bhubaneswar, Jan 26: The Odisha government rolled down a tableau on the theme - 'Women in Transport Sector' at Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Bhubaneswar during the state-level Republic Day celebrations on Monday, focusing on 'Nari Shakti' and offering a glimpse of the trailblazing locomotive pilot journey of a Sundargarh woman.
Defying all stereotypes, poverty and other setbacks in life, 41-year-old Munni Tigga of Sundargarh's Hatibari village has been serving as freight trains driver for the last 14 years.
Belonging to a farming family, Tigga topped her batch in 2002 while studying in Kumjharia girl's high school. Struggling with finances and fulfilling the basic needs of seven children including Tigga, her father expressed his inability to pay for her higher studies.
Disheartened, Tigga started to assist her father in farming in their small field. With still ends not meeting, she began working as a labourer in a private factory about 13 to 14 kms away from her house.
Tigga recalled how her mother woke her up at 2 am everyday and she used to leave for her workplace on a bicycle an hour later. Without proper road access, she demonstrated great courage, attended work and returned later in the evening.
When Tigga's mundane rhythm of daily living was continuing, she visited her elder sister's house in Rourkela in 2004. During her stay, she noticed one of her school friends was studying in a college in Rourkela.
Dejected for not being able to continue her studies, Tigga took admission in Plus II science in SG Women's College in Rourkela. Tigga joined the college with renewed aspirations in 2004, but only to shatter her dreams as she failed in the examinations two years later due to some personal reasons.
When she was experiencing a sensation of overwhelming grief, a group of students staying near her sister's house in Rourkela and preparing for competitive examinations encouraged her not to quit. They suggested Tigga to try for railway exams.
Determined to shine, Tigga's life took a positive turn when she got admission into government ITI college in Bargarh in 2006. From that point, there was no turning back for her. After passing the course, she appeared for railway examinations in different zones.
Tigga's hard work paid off when she cracked the railway examination and joined the service as an assistant loco-pilot in November 2011. She was promoted as a loco pilot in 2016. Tigga got married in 2013 and the couple have a son and daughter.
"Providing education to my children is the top priority and I would love to witness both of them emerge as independent individuals," said Tigga, who currently runs a goods train from Palasa in Andhra Pradesh to Khurda. Every woman should pursue her dreams and not bow down to the various societal influences, she added.
