Kavish Aziz
LUCKNOW—For the record, Mirza Salma has become the first gate woman in India.
Wearing Hijab, Salma is currently posted at Malhore railway station in Lucknow. People are astonished to see a Hijabi Muslim woman opening the gate at the railway station. Usually, railway gatekeeping has been a male-dominated profession.
Salma can be seen holding the flag until the train leaves. She then notes the timing of the train on a diary and waits for the next train.
Initially, she had to struggle a lot. She was taunted, but she did not lose heart. “He who struggles creates history,” she said.
A graduate of Lucknow University, the 29-year-old has been doing this job for the past 10 years. Salma also has a son. Taking care of the child and managing the house with 12-hour duty is quite difficult. However, Salma performs all these responsibilities well.
“When I started this job, two of my relatives made fun of me. They even told my parents why she was doing the jobs of men. But when newspapers reported that Salma is the first gate woman of India, the detractors started feeling proud of me,” she told India Tomorrow.
Deployment after completion of training
Salma’s father suffered from a hearing problem. Besides, he was not physically fit for the job. Therefore, Salma decided to step into his shoes to support the family. Salma had to go through the whole process. She first wrote the exam, got trained, and was then deployed at the railway station.
Raising a 2-year-old son with a 12-hour job
Salma got married three years ago. Her husband is also in a government job. She has a 2-year-old son. It is challenging to raise a 2-year-old son with a 12-hour job. However, she is trying to strike a balance. After 12 hours of work, she takes care of her son when she goes home. During the day, her father takes care of her son.
Wearing Hijab
“I do not like to leave the house without Hijab. No one has ever told me anything about Hijab. My family never imposed anything on me or stopped me from doing any work. My husband supports my decision,” she said.
“He who struggles makes history.”
“There were difficulties in the beginning. But only those who face difficulties create history,” she said.
