POSTCARD from Hosur-2

Ramesh Kumar

Dear Mr Phirojshaw Sarkari alias Phil,

Greetings.

Sir, ....  Okay, you would like to be called "Phil" ...

Phil ... the Drivers Day Utsav-Second Edition held at the Hosur Management Development Centre of Ashok Leyland on February 15, 2017 somehow brought back memories of you.

Know why?

You're one of the rarest occupiers of corner rooms of corporate world- read CEO - who unabashedly shed all trappings of your high office to spend time with drivers and their families in the remote village of Rajasthan - Jayanagar in Bundi district (200 km away from Jaipur) - in 2013. This does not come naturally to many. Tough given the huge hiatus in the societal status: poles apart. You, at the totem of the pole and the driver and his parivar at the bottom of the pyramid.

I still remember your logic for undertaking this Driver Connect visit when you said: "When my team notices that the leader himself is hands on in building driver relationship, the message goes down fast." 

Phil, you're spot on. Recently, I posted on Facebook the following: "Dear Neeraj Bhamare, must tell you that am getting JEALOUS of you and your innovative activities with long haul truck drivers. You guys @ MLL rocking. A big salute to you!"

Neeraj, by the way, is your colleague at Nashik. Just not him. I see plenty of such activities by your team. Phil, the message has really gone down well @ MLL.

Why am I writing long about you now?

Well, well... another gent from the same logistics industry stunned me at Drivers Day Utsav-Second Edition with his uncharacteristic behavior. Let me repeat - "uncharacteristic behavior"!

Never in my more than a decade long exposure to logistics & supply chain duniya I witnessed a suited-and-booted gent with a genuine (not fake!) leather bag rubbing shoulders literally on the maidan - coaxing them, cajoling them, sharing strategies on how to play the game. Well, that is precisely what this Indian logistics honcho was enacting.

Meet Maheen Kannu. Five feet, 8-9 inches perhaps. Just a guesstimate. His CV is pretty long. Check out on his Linkedin Profile.

Maheen Kannu with TransportMitra Founder Selvan Dasaraj

If my memory serves right, we know each other almost for seven years. Right from his GATI days, courtesy our mutual friend Harry Lagad, the then CEO. A few years ago, he became part and parcel of a venture capital outfit based out of - yes, you've guessed rightly - Bengaluru. And his focus of investment continues to be his darling sector: logistics & supply chain. Well, that's our connect.

When I invited him to join us for this Hosur event, he readily agreed. Such positive approach did not surprise me. Almost everyone whom I approached did. Including my own colleague Sarada Vishnubhatla, based out of Bengaluru etc.

On the Valentine's Day (February 14), he called up asking for directions.  I called Sarada extending personal invitation. She too promised.

Many asked for directions, timing, program schedule etc. I shared as much location details as possible - including Google map - with all.

On the morning of Drivers Day Utsav-Second Edition, Maheen called up to know about the law and order situation in the Tamilnadu-Karnataka border town given the current political turmoil in Tamilnadu. I repeated Amir Khan's "All Is Well" mantra. Then forgotten about him. Sarada, neither called nor turned up.

The Event was in full flow and an hour before lunch break, Maheen walked in his black pant and off white shirt & jacket combo with a leather bag hung on his left shoulders. He was apologetic about the delay in reaching the venue.

He is the ONLY high profile guest invited who turned up. So, he deserved special attention.  I kept monitoring him to ensure he was not disillusioned and walk out. After all, he had driven down from Bengaluru over the worst patch of Bengaluru roads till you climb the tolled  elevated electronic expressway.

He joined Transport Mitra Services team for lunch. I wrongly foresaw that he would scoot post lunch. He was  back from lunch sitting in the front row in one of the black chairs rearranged for the post-lunch games session: musical chair.

As the dining hall capacity was hardly 60 seats, long haul drivers assembled for the Event dined in two batches. One batch back from lunch occupied the rear end of the hall, gossiping among themselves.

Must  tell you. Colleagues from Transport Mitra know how a lot more about engaging drivers. It is no easy task because there is always a disconnect between them and the rest of the society. Forget about the society, even those who avail of their services prefer a distance. Somehow, these long haul truck drivers are untouchable, if one can say so.

Out of nowhere Pawan Asopa, new import from Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai picked up his cordless microphone and began engaging them in typical drivery basha: Their frigidity vanished and mood changed for the better. Some came on their own - multiple times - to regale their own colleagues. Some were coaxed out by colleagues. There is a vast hidden talent of singing, jokes etc. among these most ignored truck driver community. Significantly, they desire a platform to reveal their hunar (skill) beyond driving, but  never get one. All they receive at any gathering is bashan. Something akin to politician addressing an audience except the latter involvement in the form of clapping at the end of the speech or on cue midway.

Now I noticed the bespectacled venture capitalist from Bengaluru moved closer to the impromptu entertainment session in full swing. His level of engagement baffled me a bit. Was he really enjoying or faking? Difficult to decipher. Noticed his chehera. He was full of smile and attentive. As if witnessing the death overs of 20:20 cricket on TV. The singers were not Sonu Nigam or Sunidhi Chauhan. Off key singing mostly. Nor was it a tastefully decorated stage  but just on the floor of the convention hall packed with uniformed and un-uniformed long haul truck drivers.

The suited-and-booted Maheen, it appeared, was least bothered about such issues. Now I was convinced that Kannu did not come to the venue just to mark his presence and scoot out. He could have done it and excepting none would have noticed his quick exit. No, he was there like the solid rock boulders of1975  Bollywood blockbuster Sholay-famed Ramnagara on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Now that the lunch session got over, more trooped in and the musical chair competition commenced. Transport Mitra Selvan Dasaraj got busy with the music system. Yoyo Honey Singh and his troupe belted out the foot-tapping Aaj Blue Hai pani pani through the speakers. Young and old long haul truck drivers began to circle the 50 chairs. The participants numbered 70 odd moved in baby steps with an eye of the nearest chair to occupy whenever the music stopped. Suresh Kumar, another import from Hyderabad, refereed the excitable participants with assistance from other Transport Mitras.

From the corner of the eyes, I observed Maheen goading the runners-round-the-chairs. Surprise to me. I expected him to be sitting quietly on the dais, flipping through his inseparable laptop checking emails or whatever. Transporters turned Mr India inside the hall. The crowd yelled egging participants. Number of chairs shrank disproportionately. The bearded driver standing next to me on the edges complained: "This is unfair. Bees log hai. Lekin Dus kursiya. Bahut na insaafi!" That intense was the competition. Again I noticed Kannu. He was almost on his feet and jumping. He was  no fake, I was convinced. He enjoyed the unfolding event being played out. Would he have joined the game, if invited? Dunno.

Selvan played dirty with his timing of 'pani pani' ditty. Some long patches of song and some short bursts, confusing decision-making by participants. What a scene? No dumb or dull faces in that hall. Some whistled loudly.  The games got over with a winner walking away with a prize instantly.

"Now, get out, folks!" orderes Raghuram Sharma of Transport Mitra who was compering the event since morning.

"Kyun?" demanded someone from the crowd.

"Ärre bhaiyya, rassi keech khel khel na hai. Bahar chalo!", responded the Jamshedpur-born and educated Telengana man. Rassi keech? Tug of war, my friends!

Some danced. More whistled.

A Leyland official: "Tell them not to whistle. This is a Management Development Centre!"

I smile at him and walk away.

These drivers were in a different zone. Stopping them whistling? No way.

Bear with them, my friend, I want to tell. But I didn't.

"Aaj blue hai pani pani!" someone was singing out loudly as they dashed across the convention centre to the volleyball court. That was where the tug of war or rassi keech khel would take place.

Last year (Feb 2016), we had played the same game, but on the adjacent concretized basketball court. During the tussle, many had fallen and got hurt with bleeding knees. So this time, we moved the venue to the sandy/muddy surface.

"Good decision to play on this surface," quipped Maheen standing next to me at the rassi keech venue. Maheen there but can't find the transporters.

Based on Raghuram Sharma's pre-event briefing inside the Convention Centre, each team had selected 10 members to grab rope and overcome the pull opponents  from the other side.

Six teams. Therefore 60 participants. In round one, three would emerge as winners and move to round two. In round two, Leyland Ten would get a wild card entry thus bringing the team to four, consequently making semi-final decision easier. Out of  this four, two would go into finals.

It was past three and the sun was descending on the west, thus providing shaded area on west side and sunshine on the other. In the first two matches, the team occupying sunshine area emerged victor. There was a sudden scuffle. Losers complained that the team occupying the sunshine territory surreptitiously used the low lying trunk of a tree as support mechanism. Hence, every team wanted to occupy that stretch. The atmosphere was electric. Unfortunately, except a plastic whistle there were no yellow or red cards to throw trouble-makers out of the gaming area!

Kannu says, "go for toss!" to decide competing sides to pick which side to occupy. Like tennis or shuttle or volley/basketball. All agreed.

I notice a special burst of interest in Kannu. I noticed him strategizing with the team on the shaded side. Yes, he was taking sides! The suited and booted gent devising strategy for his favorite team to win.

I overheard him advising, "don't pull all the time. keep tight for a while and quickly give in for a few milliseconds beofre ingpull back. Victory is yours!"

This strategy worked perfectly. Yes, the team supported by Kannu won proving that the sunshine area occupation was not a surefire victory formula!


Kannu was involved into the minutest detail. Phil, I have never seen a white collar senior logistics honcho getting so deep into the game between truck drivers.

The game over and a lot of wolf whistles and dancing followed. The only thing missing was the drumbeat. Otherwise, it was a carnival like atmosphere.

Now we moved for  tea break. Stalls came up on the basket ball court serving hot and crispy vegetable bajji (deep fried vegetable soaked in dal flour) on paper plates and chai.

A small group of teams collected around the stall and the discussion veered around the impact of GST on drivers. This group felt that GST would be truck driver-friendly. Kannu quietly sequed into the discussion and offered his two  penny thoughts and there was consensus that corruption would not vanish 100% but certainly would get reduced. Amen.

Now back to the Convention Centre and the hall was once again packed. While the tug of war was in full swing, someone had rearranged the chairs. Kannu was called out to give away the prizes for the games segment. He obliged unhesitatingly.

I never expected him to hang around till the end, Phil. If he scooted quietly without telling anyone  post lunch, we could have not complained.  He was not a passive spectator.  No naam ke vaste type.

Maheen, we're honored to have had you in our midst that eventful day. Rubbing shoulders with someone of your calibre was a unique thing for drivers. After he left, few drivers approached me asking: "Woh aadmi kaun tha?" They were unconvinced when I revealed who he was. They were punch pleased, nonetheless.

A simple gesture of mixing with them with genuine interest is something they wish. At Hosur, it happened that day. Maheen provided an extra spoonful of sugar which long haul truck drivers cherish. Such activities build and strengthen relationship. This does not cost money. Genuine love begets genuine love. Thanks a tonne, Maheen! Sarada, you missed a lot, dear!

Phil, your ex-colleague and Transport Mitra Founder Selvan Dasaraj came out with a brilliant idea: Smart Driver Contest. Pitting one team against the other. Above all, decided to get at least three transporters to judge the calibre of participants. It was a roaring success. Want to know more about this  damaka? Wait for the next dispatch.

Cheers
Ramesh Kumar

Want to read POSTCARD from Hosur-1? Try this link ....

http://driversduniya.blogspot.in/2017/02/postcard-from-hosur-1.html