Renowned actor-politician Kamal Haasan presented a car to M. Sharmila, a celebrated woman bus driver from Coimbatore who had to resign from her job due to a controversy involving DMK MP M.K. Kanimozhi. Kamal Haasan, the president of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party, handed over a cheque of Rs 3 lakh and pledged to assist M. Sharmila in purchasing a seven-seater Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV) to support her entrepreneurial endeavours as Coimbatore’s first woman bus driver.
M. Sharmila had recently submitted her resignation to the private agency following an alleged altercation with the conductor and operators. During that time, Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Kanimozhi (DMK) felicitated her and even travelled on the bus alongside her.
According to M. Sharmila’s father, K. Mahesh, Kamal Haasan provided her with a cheque of Rs 3 lakh on Monday, June 26. He also mentioned that Mr Haasan assured Ms Sharmila of his assistance in procuring the vehicle required to start her own business.
In a press statement, Kamal Haasan expressed, “Sharmila, like Veeralakshmi, the first woman driver of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Vasanthakumari, and the first woman ambulance driver, was the first private bus driver in Coimbatore. She worked hard to achieve her ambition of becoming a bus driver. She received widespread acclaim for her successful endeavours… Sharmila receives a new car from Kamal Panpattu Maiyam to support her in resuming her career as a rental car entrepreneur.”
Last week, Kanimozhi, a DMK MP, travelled on Sharmila’s bus. An altercation ensued when the bus conductor requested a travel ticket from Kanimozhi. Sharmila, the driver, got into an argument with the conductor. However, Kanimozhi purchased tickets for herself and her fellow passengers. Upon reaching Peelamedu, Kanimozhi gifted Sharmila before departing.
Subsequently, Sharmila alighted from the bus and went to the private firm she worked for to address the conductor’s behaviour and the ensuing commotion. Allegedly, the owner warned Sharmila that her actions were merely for publicity. Disheartened by the disagreement with the private firm’s owner, Sharmila decided to quit her job.
Sharmila, as the first woman driver in Coimbatore to operate a private bus on the Gandhipuram-Somanur route, gained significant admiration from the locals, who considered her a superstar for breaking gender barriers. Earlier, Vanathi Srinivasan, a BJP MLA from Coimbatore, rode in her bus and praised her accomplishments.
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