Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida
I was three feet away when the sound of a tight slap unsettled me. Aman was the receiver and the deliverer: Nitin Rathod. The pencil-thin Aman was rubbing his left cheek and left earlobes vigorously. His ear has already turned red. No tears yet. Nitin's volley of bad words in Hindi was reverberating. Aman was Buddha-like, maintained a stoic silence.
The traffic on the road from Ahmedabad to Gandhidham was thin on the 2020 January afternoon where we were heading. Not a harsh sun. No breeze at all.
What was this drama on the highway all about? A few minutes ago I was inside the Innova watching a T20 match on Deepak Varshney's laptop.
Noticing Nitin shaking Aman on the roadside, I stepped out. Deepak copied.
"Stop it," I shouted at Nitin. I could not stomach a truck driver being hit. Investigating the rationale for such a violent act would follow later.
"Only one, Sir! No more," blurted out Nitin, his eyes bulging red with anger.
This was what happened.
Post lunch, we were heading for Mundhra in Innova with Nitin at the steering. Next to him sat Anikhet, the second driver. Deepak and self just behind Nitin, engrossed in the India vs New Zealand cricket match.
Five days ago, we left Dadri Inland Container Depot for a study of ICD functionality at various spots between Dadri near Delhi and Mundhra on the Gujarat coast. The study was for Cogoport, a start-up in freight forwarding with a focus on export-import. Ships anchored at ports wait for loads brought in by trucks from ICDs across the country. Mundhra port on the west coast, owned by the Adani group, is one of the busiest water gateways to the external world. Delhi-born Deepak Varshney, working for Cogoport in Mumbai, flew into Delhi for the 1,200 km road trip.
"Will we reach Mundhra by half-past five, Nitin?" I asked 150 km before the desired destination. He affirmed. Both Deepak and I were getting bored. It is almost a week since we left home. Eating at highway hotels and sleeping at hotels was tiresome.
Once we reach Mundhra and spend two days of interaction for the Cogoport project, we can fly back home. Deepak to Mumbai, me to Delhi.
Then, all of a sudden, this fracas unfolded on the highway with chief driver Nitin slapping truck driver Aman, 150 km before Mundhra.
At a fork, Nitin said: "If we take the overbridge, we will go to Palanpur. If we don't, then to Mundhra".
That's where fate played its dirty hand.
A Tata truck, speeding at 60 km/hour speed hit our Innova on the driver's side. Innova's right rear indicator came off along the bumper.
Deepak's Apple laptop slipped from his hands and fell on the seat next to him. I was equally pushed and noticed I was leaning against Deepak. Unsettled, but no injury. No blood.
Nitin quickly parked Innova on the roadside, got out, rushed to the truck, pulled out the driver, and slapped him hard. This all happened in a jiffy.
"Do you know why I hit you?" demanded Nitin at the young truck driver Aman. "Not for damaging my car but for using your mobile phone while driving, you idiot!"
Meanwhile, Anikhet inspected the damage and said something to Nitin in hushed tones. They estimated the repair would cost Rs.40,000. Nitin was adamant that the empty truck of Aman would not be released until the repair cost is settled on the spot.
Aman was on the phone, conveying the demand with his owner in Mumbai. He returned to say that he would pay Rs.2,000. Nothing more, nothing less.
Nitin got wild again. Short of hitting him, he verbally abused Aman's owner, who luckily was in the earshot.
He quickly shot a video of the damage to Innova and shared it with Aman's owner via WhatsApp.
Now the damage cost moved up to Rs.5,000 from Rs.2,000 offered earlier.
Nitin was ready to settle at Rs.15,000 - a deep discount, he told Aman's boss over the phone.
No agreement was in sight.
Then the Mumbai offer was upped to Rs.7,000. Nitin gave the final take-it-or-leave-it offer of Rs.9000.
"Go to the nearest police station and complain. I don't care," shouted Aman's boss.
A stalemate. Nitin was furious. What next?
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They were there for the asking, so to say. Sharmaji, shy by nature, slows down our vehicle with the idea of helping us to pick up courage and ask him to halt and step out. Somehow, neither Girish nor I have the courage to step out, go to them and say, “Hello.... Can we ...?”
Can we.... what?
What if they mistake us for 'potential clients' seeking physical pleasure?
Our middle class pseudo moralistic stance perhaps raises its ugly head.
This kind of scenario is nothing new to me. After an accident, the owners or their staff stationed at remote offices act to wriggle themselves out of the crisis through negotiations with the affected party with the least possible financial implication. Drivers are at the mercy of the others. They are alone and in a remote location where no support would be available. In many incidents, the gathered public beat up drivers mercilessly, warranting hospitalization even after the police intervention. Sad state of affairs.
Who is Aman? He hails from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. This was his maiden trip. He was coming from Mumbai for a load to pick up from Gandhidham, one of the business transport hubs in Gujarat, near Kandla/Mundhra ports. His salary: Rs..4,000 a month.
My wristwatch showed 17:45. We were supposed to have reached Mundhra by this time. Yet, we were still here. Man proposes God disposes of!
Finally, Aman's boss agreed to pay Rs.9000 on one condition: Rs.7,000 online payment and the balance of Rs.2,000 once Aman reaches Gandhidham. This Rs..2,000 has to be arranged by Aman on his own.
Nitin climbed into the Tata truck with Aman at the wheels and Anikhet took charge of our car.
After reaching Gandhidham, Aman could not manage beyond Rs.1,000. He said, "sorry".
Nitin erupted into a volcano again. "You promised. Pay up," he shouted at Aman.
A big crowd collected around us. Driver parivar it was. "Young kid. Show mercy. He has no money," they argued in favor of Aman.
Nitin was unmoved. He connected with Aman's boss and argued. Somehow, the balance of Rs1,000 was arranged.
Where was the original demand of Rs.40000 and what is the final settlement of Rs.9000?
Drivers getting beaten up in an accident is inevitable. Irrespective of whose fault it is. Second, the dispute resolution mechanism of owners or their representatives.
I began to wonder how Aman would be repaying the debt of Rs.9000 to his motormalik. Is his owner, a heartless man? I am clueless.
Good god, Aman escaped with one tight slap. That itself is a violent act. Later I would reprimand Nitin.
By the by, at the Palanpur crossing accident site, several trucks passed by. Unsurprisingly, none stopped to intervene and save their brethren.
Driver unity? What's that?
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