Meet Annapoorni, TN Woman Becomes First Female Trucker To Cross Over Bangladesh

Annapoorni Rajkumar created history as the first woman to drive a truck from Tamil Nadu all the way to Bangladesh. The 40-year-old's journey across 10 days covered around 1,000 kilometres according to the Times of India. When she arrived at the Petrapole border check post, a place dominated by male truckers, she instantly became a celebrity for her historic feat. "Rajkumar reached Petrapole on Saturday night with a truck loaded with cotton yarn, which she was carrying from Visakhapatnam SEZ. She drove the truck for 10 days," said Kamlesh Saini, the manager of Land Port Authority of India (LPAI), Petrapole.

Traversing Rocky Roads

Rajkumar's drive to Bangladesh was no cakewalk. As one of the very few female truckers, the biggest challenge she faced was to find a hygienic restroom. Moreover, having to stay at dhabas like her male counterparts was a strict no-no, owing to safety concerns. At some male-dominated rest stops, she was even restricted from entering the premises.

Saini told TOI, "She was lucky to have found hotels, where she parked her truck and stayed." He added that the LPAI collaborated with Rajkumar to make her journey slightly better. "We had requested the Bangladesh authorities to quickly arrange to unload the cotton from her truck. The unloading was sped up, in a place where trucks often have long waits."

Making Highway Infrastructure Women Friendly

Saini said that Rajkumar's experience has pushed them to provide women-friendly facilities on the road so that the gender bias in C&F (customs clearing and forwarding can be tackled. He added, "We kept her in a women's dormitory after she returned from Bangladesh, as it has a separate toilet." 

Kartick Chakraborty, secretary of Petrapole C&F Agents Welfare Association, pointed out in an interaction with TOI that senior Ministry of Home Affairs officials, who had recently come to Petrapole from Delhi, were unhappy to see that it was still an overwhelmingly male-dominated field with few women-friendly infrastructure.

Rekha Raikar Kumar, member (finance) of LPAI, held a meeting on March 19 at Petrapole and asked us to prepare an environment that is congenial for women workers. We plan to encourage women to work at the border. But there are still some
fear at the border after sunset, so even hotel staff are men," Chakraborty told the outlet.

Rajkumar's relentless spirit to achieve the momentous achievement not only showcased her determination but also exemplified the struggle for gender equality in several professions like logistics and travel. Her journey has proven the need for a more inclusive infrastructure across different industries where women's needs are often overlooked.