In Andhra Pradesh’s remote Karlagatta village, 21-year-old Lumbika has conquered tractors and JCBs, self-taught in days, supporting her father’s farm work and inspiring her community to rethink women’s roles in male-dominated fields.
Lumbika, from Karlagatta in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, operates four family tractors and a JCB across nearby villages, self-teaching tractor skills in three days and JCB mastery in under a week. Driven by her father’s farming burdens, she excels in a male-heavy sector with six years of flawless work.
Her parents treated her equally, fuelling her success; her father lauds her precision, while she credits family support. No official statements from local authorities yet, but her story ripples through the mandal, challenging gender stereotypes amid rural India’s push for women’s empowerment.
Dusty Fields Forge a Trailblazer
Karlagatta, nestled in the arid landscapes of Chittoor district, exemplifies rural Andhra’s challenges: small farms, erratic monsoons, and heavy reliance on machinery for soil preparation and excavation. Lumbika, raised amid these dusty fields, watched her father juggle farming and tractor driving to sustain the family.
At 15, curiosity led her to the tractor controls; in just three days, she mastered it-a feat that stunned villagers accustomed to men dominating such tasks.
A year on, facing her father’s mounting workload, she turned to the hulking JCB excavator. Many seasoned operators take months to handle its levers, hydraulics, and precise digging, yet Lumbika tamed it in under a week.
Today, at 21, she manages four tractors and the JCB, ferrying them to neighbouring villages for earth-moving jobs. “I did it because my father couldn’t carry the burden alone,” she shared with The New Indian Express (TNIE).
Her hands, calloused yet steady, symbolise resilience in a field where women are rare-nationally, less than 5% of heavy machinery operators are female, per informal sector estimates.
Family Backbone: No Wings Clipped
What sets Lumbika apart? Unwavering family support in a society where gender roles often confine women to homes. “My parents never treated me differently because I’m a girl,” she told TNIE, her voice steady with gratitude.
Her father, a lifelong farmer, recalls her childhood fascination: “She’d climb onto the tractor seat just to watch. We let her learn-no restrictions.”
Over six years, Lumbika has notched zero errors, navigating treacherous village paths and deep excavations without mishap. Her father adds pridefully: “She hasn’t made a single mistake-whether on a tractor or JCB.”
This paternal endorsement extends beyond home; villagers in the mandal now seek her expertise, turning whispers of doubt into cheers. In rural Andhra, where child marriages and early dropouts plague girls-over 25% of females aged 15-19 are out of school, per NFHS-5 data-Lumbika’s story counters the narrative, proving encouragement yields prodigies.
Broader Ripples in Rural Empowerment
Lumbika’s ascent mirrors wider shifts in India. Andhra Pradesh’s government has rolled out schemes like YSR Cheyutha, providing skill training and financial aid to rural women, though uptake in heavy machinery remains low.
Nationally, initiatives such as Skill India have trained thousands in construction trades, yet gender gaps persist: women comprise just 10-15% of the construction workforce, according to Labour Ministry reports.
Her tale echoes others-like Tamil Nadu’s women JCB operators or Rajasthan’s tractor-driving sisters—highlighting a quiet revolution. Locally, no officials have commented, but Chittoor district’s rural development officer could amplify this by integrating such skills into vocational programmes.
Challenges linger: safety risks on unregulated sites, lack of formal certification, and societal pushback. Yet Lumbika presses on, her JCB roaring as a metaphor for breaking earth-and barriers.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Lumbika embodies the peace and harmony born from empathy and equal opportunity, reminding us that true strength lies in nurturing every child’s potential, regardless of gender.
At The Logical Indian, we champion stories fostering kindness, dialogue, and coexistence, urging families and communities to dismantle biases for positive change. In a nation striving for women’s empowerment, her unclipped wings inspire us all.
