Why this smugness or indifference...

EDITORIAL

Sympathy for the marginalized segment of society is scarce. I did not bargain for what I was witness to during the 700 km two-day Kanyakumari to Chennai Road Trip in mid-May 2017. The reality was stark. The key question was - and is: why long haul truck drivers are treated shabbily by the most respected corporate  entities.

Just not one, but all the four companies that I had spent time outside their factory gates conclusively showcased their distate for love for labour. These corporate entities are no babes in the woods and boast of "great work" under the now-mandated Corporate Social Responsibility rules.

It beats  me why truck drivers without whose services the entire business will collapse gets such a raw deal. Are these multi-crore  enterprises knowingly ignore them? Or simply unaware of the ground reality of pathetic living and working conditions  - not far away but just outside their factory gates? Or is it because truck drivers are not unionized and therefore have no collective bargaining?

Am sure, these corporate are not blind. So, logically it proves that they believe this uneducated or less-privileged fellow-citizens do not deserve any sympathy. Perhaps there is a feeling at the corner office of each of these business entities that the total absence of basic amenities such as toilets and washroom outside their factory gates where these trucks that ferried both raw materials/components from vendors - because this is the age of outsourcing - and waiting to carry finished items to market shelves are sheer waste of money and does not get them positive coverage in the media.

Strangely, these same companies go to town tom-toming about how they have adopted villages as part of their CSR activities and showcase them on their websites. Publicity hungry. Yes. Short-sighted. Yes.

In the bargain, they all forget that as responsible corporate citizens of the Republic of India, they are snubbing none less than the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. How? By totally ignoring his nationwide call and championing of "gSwatchch Bharat Abhiyan" - Clean India Campaign.

The suffering target group is equally blameworthy. Why accept such inhuman treatment? Why should they accept to live without a bathing facility or toilets outside factory gates of companies for whom they have hauled goods and made to wait due to the poor inefficiencies of the company or its logistics service providers? If only, they refuse to ... Let me not get into that area at this moment.

It's never too late. Wake up, folks! Go ahead and spend money on adopting villages and get media coverage. No issues. Simultaneously, step out of your cabins and aircondioned vehicles at your factory gates and perform a 'rounds' to see what have you done. And then, act.

DRIVERS DUNIYA, in this June-August 2017 issue, turns the spotlight on the heartless performance of these Indian companies towards the key supply chain element viz., truck drivers.

It's never too late to look into the mirror and change one's attitude towards the marginalised segment of our own society. Father of  the Nation Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi will be punch pleased when the dignity of labour is appreciated and acted upon. So also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What are you waiting for, India  Inc?

Ramesh Kumar
editor@driversduniya.in