Why army driver project failed to take off

Ramesh Kumar from New Delhi

"I admit, it is a failure," concedes Ramesh Agarwal of Agarwal Packers & Movers.

What failure?

As we sat in the Conference Room lobby in the Labour Ministry for an interaction with Joint Secretary of Ministry of Skill Development & Employment Rajesh Agarwal to deliberate on the Driver Training Initiatives being bluepencilled by Automatic Skill Development Coulcil and Logistics Sector Skill Development Council, he blurts out.

More about the core theme later.

Back to Agarwal & the failure issue. Agarwal took the initiative to induct ex-Army personnel as truck drivers as part of  providing them post-retirement job opportunity and also to mitigate the driver shortage (18-20% as indicated by Mumbai-based Consultant Sushil Cherian).

"They were unable to adjust to the truck driving ground realities. Dealing with police and RTOs en route to whom these ex-fauji-drivers were expected to kowtow did not appeal to them. Hence, they dropped out," explains Agarwal.

Indeed, he is not off the mark. Three years ago, DRIVERS DUNIYA took the initiative with Brigardier (Retd) Vivek Sohal facilitating the interaction with the Army HQ. Subsequently, even Transport Mitra Founder Selvan Dasraj met the Army Welfare Placement Organisation Managing Director Maj Gen Deepak Sapra SM (Retd)* and Director *H(igh) V(oltage) Sharma* in Delhi in the same regard. It is  no exaggeration to say that the kind of conditions he was laying down to induct ex-fauji drivers were unimplementable.

Five days a week. Proper timing. The list is endless. These ex-fauji drivers are still expect the disciplined and regimented life they were exposed to all their lives in the Army. Expecting the same from the unruly highway authorities across pan India is  asking for the moon. What about the motor maliks? We know the reality about their humaneness!

It is a mindset challenge. Sarkari naukri, sarkari naukri hai. Transportation is not sarkari.

"How do you expect me to beseech a police or RTO?" is the key concern. Another challenge is their desire to be closer to their family. Having spent their entire career spanning 20+ years away from their family, they don't cherish long hauls which again will entail away from family for longer duration.

Will the much-trumpeted Rest & Relay format by Rivigo with no driver driving more than 250 km and returining home every alternate day is the remedy? No idea. Perhaps Rivigo can throw light. This  R&R format is very expensive proposition and the grapevine has it that even Rivigo is in the process of discontinuing. 

It is a sad state of affairs. Transportation segment will be glad to absorb them. But the job seeking ex-fauji drivers have to accept the ground reality. No one can change the corrupt, rent-seeking officials at state level through which the highways passes through. Eliminating this disease is a lifelong battle. Not on the borders. But right across the society.

What about the veteran non-fauji traditional drivers? What is their reaction to the ex-fauji induction into truck driving? Says Manohar Tiwari from Lucknow: "fauji kaam bahut asaan. Koi bhi kar sakte. Drivery us se jyadda mushqil hai. Woh log ayaga to bhi, tike ga nahi."

DRIVERS DUNIYA carried a cover feature on the same (December 2016 issue) ... 

This is what Brigadier (Retd) Vivek Sohal wrote:

The soldier-drivers retire at a rather young age, many of them before they touch 40, and they do need a second career. They mostly are trained and employed as drivers, besides basic military training, and thus would have little option for reemployment. They are disciplined, industrious, focused and task-oriented. Beside, the country needs them to 􀏐ill a major void in keeping the economy moving and robust; it’s a national commitment after all!



Sentiments are wonderful. Laudable. Both Ramesh Agarwal and Sohalsaab deserves a fresh round of applause for espousing the ex-fauji drivers'cause. But....

I rest my case.

Tornagallu Diary - 5

Ramesh Kumar

Handling long haul truck drivers is something akin to shepherding one's own children. Moody and uncooperative. Moody because both believe in unfettered freedom. So when they are confined to a restricted area, they protest silently. Their protest manifests via non-cooperation. With whom? Whomsoever they figure out working against their goal of joy.

Their reluctance to engage in any fruitful collaboration with the authority in sight - the Teacher in this case in a classroom ambiance - is doomed right from the word "go". Unless, a friendly atmosphere is created to convey that both the Teacher and the Taught are not adversaries during the tenure of time spent together for a day or more. But together for a common purpose.

It is a battle of wits between the two diametrically opposite poles. Children or Truck drivers on the one side and the Teacher/Coach on the other side. The tension has to evaporate as early as possible with some trick or other for any  semblance of "work" to commence. Basically, they have to be won over so that the rest of the class or session will function smoothly.  No child's play this is.

Yellapantula Raghuram Sharma, the Coach or Head of Training of TransportMitra Services P Ltd, knows this precept pretty well. Given his penchant for linguistic felicity coupled with coaching experience of more than a decade with Air India-Indian Airlines,  he is well prepared. Every single day is  a challenge because he has to confront 15 new "students" daily. Long haul truck drivers cannot be  held back beyond a few hours or maximum a day since the loaded vehicle is waiting at the yard to move to its destination. Getting educated is fine, but not at the cost of the motor malik losing business. The motor maliks, of late, are sensing the importance of an "enabled" workforce due to the very late realization among the corporate - the ultimate end users - of ensuring safety of their cargo and in the process, the fall out is their insistence on better vehicles and equally better trained drivers. Thus, class room education for  truck drivers is gaining prominence and Sharmaji is in business.

His gambit: ice breaker. Simply put, he unfastens the seat belt of his wards (truck drivers in this case) with a game. After a brief self introduction to the assembled 15 odd long haul truck drivers on the third floor of Kataria Movers in Tornagallu, Sharmaji invites them for a game of balloon.

He divides the assembled drivers into two, using their  nativity  as a yardstick. "Those from Azamgarh, stand here and others, those from Rae Bareli, stand there," he advises in his smooth voice.

The audience is perplexed. Balloons for grown ups? "Driverbhaiyon, I wish to awaken the child in you... as kids, we always loved balloons, no?" Sharmaji sets the agenda. Now, he orders them to fill them with air and hold in their left hand. Next, toothpicks distributed to each one of them.

Unable to hide their mirth, drivers pitted against each other exchange glances. Balloon and toothpick. Some inflate their balloons to the brim. Some, moderately. No uniformity. In the bargain, some balloons go burst and fresh supply for refilling with air.

The  maiden act of air filled color balloons and toothpick has certainly transformed the atmosphere. Witty exchanges among drivers transpire. Was it the same glum looking drivers hardly a few minutes ago when they trooped in? Good question. The balloon has done the trick, indeed. An air of carnival.

They anxiously await next set of instructions to play the game, whatever it is. Sharmaji spells out the rules. Over the next two minutes, both groups have to ensure the safety of their respective inflated balloons. At the end, whichever group has  the maximum number of undamaged but inflated balloons, will  be declared the winner. Simple, no doubt. So,  what for toothpicks?  A possible weapon to deflate rival's balloons? Your guess as good as mine.

Sharmaji directs both teams to discuss game the plan with their  respective groups: how to safeguard their balloons. Each team goes into a huddle for a minute or so. The whistle blown and the countdown begins. There is total mayhem. Both teams clash with each other, trying to prick other's balloon. In less than 30 seconds, most balloons deflated. Those left with undamaged balloons are chased around the hall by rivals. Taller drivers hold aloft their balloons and run to escape from the relatively shorter rivals scampering with their toothpick weaponry. It was fun watching these grown up men - ranging between 20 and 50 years plus - running helter skelter. Full throated war cry. Total hungama. Lot of noise. And bonhomie too. A real classroom or playground atmosphere. Typical child-like innocence. Fun and merry all around.

When the final whistle is blown, more torn unshapely rubber lying all around on the floor. No balloon safe. No  winners.  .

True, the ice is broken. There is bonhomie between Sharmaji and the assembled drivers who will be spending the next five hours listening to his lessons on various skill sets they are expected to learn and imbibe. He has won them over. Just the balloon did the trick.

On the surface of it, it is a simple game. As Sharma seats them in their respective chairs and explains the moral of the game. "My direction (to you) was to safeguard your balloons. I never asked you to burst them. ... All 15 of you would have been winners if you stayed put and avoided pricking others' balloons.  Unfortunately, you decided to run amok and in the bargain, there are no winners. Sad," post mortems Sharmaji.

The sadness on the face of drivers is perceptible. They fully agree with Sharmaji. If only they  thought through.... If only they understood the real meaning of the directions ....

"You believed that to achieve your personal victory, you have to affect others. That's wrong," adds he  with a tinge of sorrow. Over the fortnight long daily day long sessions with different set of drivers, the result is the same: all balloons burst most of the days. Rare are the days when 2-3 balloons remain unpunctured.

More than the import of balloon game, Sharmaji very quickly built up a perfect rapport with his core audience. They will joyfully sit through the full day session ungrudgingly. Just not the topics but the presentation and interactive nature of sessions made the exercise enjoyable for everyone.

Towards the fag end of the fortnight long workshop on "integrated smart driver training programme", drivers were demanding "once more" of some sessions.  Few simple physical exercise regimen  is one such much in demand session. Imagine, truck drivers used to lethargic lifestyle due to lack of any physical activity asking for repeats of such activities.

Simply put, Sharmaji shrewdly obtained a total "buy in" from his driver students via  a simple balloon game. Ustaad coach, Sharmaji is!

Who is Yerapantalu Raghuram Sharma? Find here

Where is Tornagallu? Check here

Tornagallu Diary - 4

Ramesh Kumar

Yellapantula Raghuram Sharma dreamt of becoming a doctor so that he can treat and restore good health of his potential patient clients. That was the reason behind his selection of Chemistry Botany Zoology for his bachelor's degree at Jamshedpur Cooperative College in the erstwhile Bihar, now in Jharkhand. Alas, family financial condition did not permit the luxury of chasing his dream career. Undeterred he sat for another degree: this time in Commerce.

Coming out successfully with double degrees, he landed up  selling financial products for a short while in Patna before fate threw him into the sky, literally: as cabin crew in the then monopolistic national air carrier viz., the Indian Airlines.

For 34 years, this charming, multi-linguist sweet talker serviced thousands of  frequenting IA passengers: the high and mighty as well as the low and the marginalized. What is of importance was that he had spent a decade towards the last phase of his illustrious career grooming the  new recruits joining the Air India-Indian Airlines into the art and science of "customer service". Simply put, this Jamshedpur-born Telugu brahmin fine-tuned his teaching/coaching skills then.

Sharmaji, as he is known among colleagues, would not have bargained for what transpired subsequently. In a way, his dream to become a "doctor" became a reality. Though not as a qualified MBBS degree holder treating patient-clients at hospitals and or private clinics, Sharmaji turned into a "behavioral doctor"!

His so-called patients today are: long haul truck drivers. His consultancy or operations are conducted at unusual places: truck driver-frequenting highway dhabas, portside CFS premises, transport nagars, fleet owning transport company premises, mining pits and what not.

TransportMitra got him on board soon after it set sailing in early 2015 to head, what else, "training". Must admit, I had my doubts as to how a veteran cabin crew trainer with the country's own air  carrier where he dealt with polished and educated target group grooming them to be the best in their work will handle the underprivileged, less educated and a difficult-to-decipher long haul truck drivers.

Sharmaji, thankfully, proved me wrong totally. He took to coaching/counselling long haul truck drivers with a deep inferiority complex like duck taking to water. His repertoire consists of: wit  and wisdom. Ready to become a child to these unruly long haul truck driver kids and win their confidence and trust in the language of their choice: Hindi, Telugu, Tamil. In Hindi, he was adept at Bhojpuri even. Having born and brought up in the cow belt of Republic of India, his diction and choice of words was impeccable and unmatchable. A quick linguistic comfort or bridge got erected between the teacher and the taught.

This five feet four inches maestro dug deep  into the archives of TransportMitra to transform himself into an hands on expert in understanding the psyche of his subjects. Just not that alone. He traveled length and breadth of our country in the course of coaching his wards on how to become "smart".

"Arre yaaron, hamare phones bhi  smart ho chuke hain. Aap kyun nahi?" is one of his opening gambit in saral Hindi. His quiver is full of gyan and vigor. Life has not changed much for this Hyderabad-based  "behavioral doctor". In his earlier avatar with the national air carrier, he was always away from home most of the time. Like a nomad. Now again, the same situation: like a nomad, he is always on the move to remain connected with his new found love: the long haul truck drivers. .

What does he teach/coach? Wait for the next dispatch.

Tornagallu Diary - 3

Ramesh Kumar

April 2017. Yes, that was when I got acquainted with this steel city built from the scratch by the Sajjan Jindal side of the huge Jindal conglomerate for the first time. Once again, am back. One big difference is that it enjoys an air link via Bengaluru or Hyderabad. Earlier we used to fly down from Delhi to either of these two southern cities and train or bus down overnight in private sleeper coaches.

Just a recap. This is what I wrote in my dispatch Tornagallu Diary-1 that time:

Honestly I never heard of Toranagallu until my  colleague Selvan Dasaraj at TransportMitra spoke of it almost a year ago. Barring a few superb images shot with his Blackberry and loads of talk of this town or village by him post visit, I knew nothing. Yes, my only source of information was him, notwithstanding that my relatives even today live at Tungabhadra Dam and I did visit them a quarter century ago. The aforementioned Dam is hardly 40 km away from Tornagallu.  

How and why Toranagallu became a part of my lexicon? This warrants a dive into the origin of Transport Mitra, a for-profit business enterprise. Two of us - Selvan and self - met in 2013 due to our common interest in studying the lives of long haul truck driver and their families. He is a logistician with more than a quarter century past and me, a business journalist with specialization  in supply chain and logistics. (To know more about our "coming together", check out http://bit.ly/2otPWo8).

In 2016, he heard about Toranagallu from a mutual friend and .... also about the huge industrial township of JSW Steel Limited in the heart of Sandur mining zone. However big or small the enterprise be, truck driver is one of  the key supplychain element. The JSW Steel Limited's India's largest integrated steel plant is no different. 

Then we were hired to transform their truck drivers operating between JSW captive mines and railway siding  and or manufacturing plant. TransportMitra completed the task over 100 days successfully.

Now again, it is  the same truck driver connect that has brought TransportMitra back to this integrated steel city. We have been synonymous with driver relationship management and one of our recent callers is the Kataria Movers/MD Movers, significantly serving JSW again on the finished product transportation. Earlier, we were in this steel city for a behavioral change assignment with the OEM. This time, it is for behavioral change of the OEM's logistic service provider.

Shashank Jain flanked by Raghuram Sharma (in blue jacket) of TransportMitra and Amit Varma

Kataria Movers is focused on steel movement for various iron & steel manufacturers spread across India. Tata Steel and JSW are two vital clients for this  Jain group. Thirtyish  Director Shashank Jain, nephew of promoter Managing Director Dharmesh Jain, in our maiden meeting at his third floor, escalator-free office in the heart of this steel town, hastens to add that they are "no way related to the Katarias" - another huge transport family spread across India focused on various niche segments.

Our task is to hold an intensive smart driver training program for his company-owned trucks' drivers (approx. 225) at Tornagallu, servicing JSW to begin with. Of course, Kataria Movers hire third party vehicles as well to meet their  client needs. But at this juncture, our training target is the company owned vehicle drivers only.

TransportMitra focuses on soft skills because HCV OEMs and other outfits are already well entrenched in that arena. Soft skill is an area where there are few players. The reason is not too far to seek. Long haul truck drivers are nomads, so to say. Catching  them and keeping them engaged in a class room session at a stretch for a couple of  hours is a Herculean task.

Having said that, we at TransportMitra have finetuned our skill set to address this lacuna over the past four years. Imparting finer aspects of living to nomadic truck drivers is a challenge. Not impossible. Doable. We have done. Now again at it to engage the drivers of Kataria Movers at Tornagallu.

Managerial expertise. Yes. Ground level exposure. Yes. Teaching or coaching talent. Yes. Patience. Loads and loads. Because the engagement with truck drivers warrants that criteria.

Our Integrated Smart Driver Training Programme, currently on is an engaging story.  This "Tornagallu Diary" narrative in piecemeal will capture the happenings on ground.

The pillar of this coaching/teaching is Raghuram Sharma. Who's he?

Watch out for the next dispatch.

Pawan's Pill

Ramesh Kumar from New Delhi


Courtesy Jehaan Kotwal, I know Pawan Sharma Asopa from Navi Mumbai. Interesting character with interest in multiple things. Our common connect is driver welfare and fighting corruption on highways.

Recently  we travelled Mumbai-Nasik-Mumbai on road and that's when his interest in meditation become apparent. Actually he took me to the Vipasanna centre at Igatpuri. He did a short course there and since then exploring to teach truck drivers "meditation".

According to him, it is the best medicine-free stress buster. 

Truck drivers and meditation? Possible. Meditation is nothing but trying to keep the mind and body at peace. Very challenging. Mental turbulence does not differentiate between the educated and uneducated. It attacks or engulfs both.

More the educated, more the disturbance is my conviction. Don't know about you.

Truck drivers and mental stress go together. Inseparable. For a variety of reasons.

Truck drivers, away from home and alone on the empty and sparsely populated highways at day or night, with or without driver assist, music blaring from their cheap sound system, need greater concentration for safe driving.

Distractions come in various forms; phone calls from family or friends or colleagues mostly. Or from office supervisors keeping track of their movement. GPS? Forget it. Even if it is functional, nothing like the conventional one on one talk. Right?

Distracted driving is a pain area from the safety perspective. Added to these tangible turbulance is the fear factor. Drivers worry a lot about what lies ahead on the road ahead. Not from naxalites or anti-social elements. But corrupt, rent-seeking highway officials working for the state transport departments who hang around on the edges of highways  at multiple locations - district wise in each state - to bounce on the gullible drivers to extort illegal money.

Drivers desire to avoid such elements. Purely out of self interest. How and why?

Fleet owners pay peanuts to drivers in India. Most of the time, a four digit amount just on paper. But give good amount of money to bribe highway vultures grudgingly - running into thousands of rupees per trip - to ensure timely delivery. Again self interest of fleet owners.

Drivers look at this as a bonanza that can be usurped if they can avoid the corrupt vultures. No bribery translates into their pockets bulging.  Hence the worry, which affects their mental balance.

Tension, tension, tension from trip start to trip finish. 

Hence, Pawan Asopa's prescription for meditation to achieve mental equilibrium under all circumstances makes sense. A fortnight ago, the tall Rajasthani do-gooder noticed Linde trucks  parked on the road side and during interaction with drivers learnt the placement of cameras inside cabins from safety perspective and drivers' disenchantment with such "big brother watch" always.

Following a quick conversation with some  multinational company's logistics  officials, he is  selling the concept of meditation - not medication - to truck drivers. Worth trying. His choice of approaching MNCs is spot on. Because only these foreign companies give adequate importance to road safety and willing to invest. Yes, invest is the key word. It is not an expenditure but an investment to ensure just not safe delivery of their consignment but equally saving several valuable human lives. Desi companies, however big or small, are found wanting in this sphere. Shame.

Will fleet owners pay for such services? Pawan's services are not free. Marginal fee, he charges. Secondly, will drivers be interested in learning 'meditation?. Worth trying, again.

Good luck, Pawan!

Pawan Sharma Asopa is reachable at +91 9324024111

The Painter Babu

 Ramesh Kumar from New Delhi

Noticing Saheb Kumar Paswan ambling across the spacious open workshop area with his multi-colored folding walker  brought back memories of my late mother.

Way back in 1990, she had fallen in the washroom and broken her thigh bones in Mumbai. Post surgery with a steel bone as a replacement she needed the folding walker to move around.

Paswan-cum-folding-walker popped up mother on my mindscreen for a few seconds. Memories.

The sprightly Paswan was all smiles as we exchanged "namastes".

How did he break his haddi (bones)?

"Not planned," replies he sportingly. Great sense of humor. Yes, accidents don't send Short Message Service or SMS to the victim prior to their arrival!

He walks me to the accident spot at the workshop where his colleagues are busy "brown"ing the exteriors of a truck - part of annual ritual when peeled off paints are not eye-candy and clients - read, automotive giants whom these trucks serve - are getting more brand conscious and therefore insist of carriers of their precious vehicles also be spick and span. 

How about these OEMs showing same kind of enthusiasm to make the drivers of these vehicles also "brand ambassadors" by making their working conditions better outside their factory gates and en route by promoting on their own or in collaboration with other stakeholders the American style pitshops? For everything else, these OEMs blabbering, "Look at USA/Europe." Why not in these areas as well? These thoughts flash through my mind.

The "tak-tak" noise with the hammer kissing iron sheets somewhere in the vicinity of where are grouped. A pair of mechanics ferrying an empty fuel tanker, repaired and painted, to another safe location at the workshop. Their leather gloves remind me of a discussion I had with a CEO of another MNC-owned, fleet owning car carrier business enterprise a few hours ago on the "Personal Protection Equipment" (PPE) issue.

He, again, owning a workshop where his tractor trailers has safety concerns. Similar to what I am noticing at the Manesar workshop where I am conversing with Paswan.

Repaint work in full swing.  High steel stools and bamboo ladders used to reach heights. During a similar chore two months back, this painter from Luckysarai in Bihar, slipped. Rest, as they say,  is history.

He had spent time in a private hospital and then rested at home more than a month and now back at work.

The June heat coupled with the severity of his medicinal intake had taken a toll: there are boils on his upper lip.

Still Paswan is not fit to resume full fledged work. That does not bother him.

Sitting at home, says he, is   more painful than the injury.

"Requested (my seniors) to  allow me come to work. Whatever suits you, they told me. Am here," adds he.

His enthusiasm amazes me. Be more cautious in future at work, I advise. His job profile won't change, post accident. He nods. Those around him also shake their heads collectively.

"Want to see (the stitches)?" asks he innocently.

Why not?

He unzips his pant, draws down the left side of the trouser. There it is. The stitch marks. Almost a foot long vertical scar runs through with mini marks horizontally where the needle and  thread sew the slit open thigh flesh for surgery and subsequently bound them together for healing.

Several pairs of eyes watch the scar closely. Each one of us, mentally thanking our respective Gods that this did not happen to us! Natural human instinct.

Someone asks him: "When will they remove the iron part fitted into this thigh?" Valid question.

Paswan: "When it heals fully."

Really so?

My experience - rather my mother's experience was different.

A day after my mother's death, I revisit the Lodi  Road Crematorium in Delhi (June 26, 1996) to pick the bones and ashes for immersion at the Ganges later. Noticing the gleaming steel bone replica lying ash-covered, I bend down to pick it up gingerly and get my fingers singed in the process. It was hot still.

While the fire consumed mother's flesh, it could not do much to the steel bone that was part of her torso. I did bring that part of my mother home as part of her memory. Sure, must be lying somewhere at home with other memorabilia.

Memories again, linking Paswan's predicament with my mother's.  Experience and observation are the best teacher, I believe.

About the foreign element in Paswan's thigh, I have no idea. Will it be removed as he believes? Or will it remain permanently like my mother's? Clueless absolutely.

Paswan's cup of joy is full. He is able to amble with some support today. He is confident of getting 100% fit quickly.

"Malik spent so much on my medical," confesses the temporarily handicapped painter. Though he has no risk coverage in the form of accident insurance, his motor malik was his risk bearer. Lucky, he was to enjoy such a benevolent malik. Such bosses are rare in the Indian transport ecosystem.

With a color bandana tied around his head,  another  painter climbs the tall iron bench top to resume painting the top portion of the truck parked nearby.  It wobbles a week bit.  It does not matter.  He knows his Malik is there to take care of him and his family in case of any accident. Paswan watches him closely from the ground level, with one hand holding the folding walker and another clutching the tall iron bench. Safety got into Paswan's DNA and etched permanently perhaps. Good. 📌

  

The Strike That Wasn't

Ramesh Kumar from New Delhi 

It's over. Yes, it's over. 

Am talking about the indefinite strike call given by All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners' Association or  ACOGOA.. The angst of fleet owners was against the incessant diesel price hike and daily revision, higher third party insurance premium and continuous increake toll fees.

ACOGOA has actually called off the strike, but prefers to phrase it diplomatically as "postponed".  General Secretary Rajendra Singh and President Channa Reddy in their joint statement on 21 June (on  the fourth day of strike) say: "As we have received telephone call from central ministry, that since the minister is not in the station till 27.6.2018 to call off the strike and come to discussion after 27.06.2018. In view of this and in the public interest, we have postpone (sic) the truckers strike." 

One phone call from the Ministry of Road Transport & HIghways on the fourth day did the trick. Why did the caller wait for four days is not a mystery at all for those who understand the nuances of government working.

In the run upto any strike, the government machinery - read the Intelligence Bureau - gets into play with  them conversing with  strikers informally. One, try to gauge the seriousness of  the strikers'intent and secondly, to find ways and means to avert any such activities that can cause public distress in howsoever small measure.Damage control, yes.

Simultaneously, the strikers also keen to know the government stance. Will it accede to our demand, however genuine the laundry list maybe? Put it differently, every striking party is keen on one thing: an exit path. Indefinite does not mean infinity!

Something similar to the private equity players. Even  before they actually put in money, they work out an exit path: when, where and how.

In a similar fashion, every striking party works out an exit path - call it, a face saving formula - even before the launch date. That is when to call off and go back to routine work. Strike is huge risk and a big gamble. It may work. May not. No lobby group or trade unions want egg on their face.

It is a different matter altogether whether transport lobby groups are of businessmen or workers? If the former, it is unheard of businessmen going on a work stoppage. They sit across the table and negotiate. Convince or  get convinced. In fact, this dichotomy is glaring and mandarins in the government always wonder about the character of the transport lobbies. 

Am scratching my grey cells to  figure out whether the industry lobby groups (Assocham, CII, FICCI at the apex level) has ever called for an industrial shutdown to get their concerns addressed ever. Certainly, the industry has their own massive laundry list. They do meet with the respective ministries at regular intervals with no photo ops to convey their viewpoint and get the bureaucrats to modify their previous stance. 

Yes, the tension builds up- mostly on the striking party. Particularly if the  striking organisation does not have total control over its constituent members. Leave aside the multiplicity of associations in the same segment who are not in friendly terms and have their own agenda. Why only in transportation segment? The case is same in every  industry. Disputes are not uncommon among siblings.

All said and done, ACOGOA is one of the three transport lobby groups,  representing  the interests of fleet owners with more focus, unlike its rivals whose reach and constituents encompass every single segment of transport ecosystem including fleet owners.

By the way, All India Motor Transport Congress or AIMTC, the biggest lobby group, is gearing up for its own indefinite strike from July 20. Their mobilisation drive is in full bloom. Its laundry list of course also covers the concerns of ACOGOA and beyond.

Big boys have big laundry list. 

Let us examine what was the response of indefinite strike called by ACOGOA? A day after the strike launch, says:

"North East has completely gone on a standstill as it is the only gateway from West Bengal. About 30,000 vehicles moving in and out from north east are therefore stopped. In Maharashtra, the markets  have reported prices  of vegetables like onion undergoing sharp increases. Even Delhi today has reported stoppage of 4,000 vehicles at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Terminal." 

Well, that's not the end. Hearken this:

"Taking off from yesterday, West Bengal continues under complete chakka jam allover the state. In Karnataka also, the situation continues to be encouraging with vehicle movement continuing to be stopped  all over. Mr R Sugumar, President, TNLOF informed that out of about 5 lakh vehicles 3 lakh vehicles are stopped," says ACOGOAspokesperson.

In totality, Ganesh claims that "there are now above 50 lakh estimated vehicles that have stopped which will mean a loss of about more than Rs.1,000 crore to the lorry owners."

Total shutdown of West Bengal is unsurprising, given the state's high agitation quotient. Was the  three lakh vehicles going off the highways in Tamilnadu noticed? Doubtful. Forget about rival bodies, even general public living on the fringes of state and national highways passing  through  the entire state did not see  highways devoid of trucks.

Forget that. These are all hearsay.

I was travelling from Gandhidham to  Ahmedabad (325 km) by road on 18 June - the day the strike commenced -  and watched normal truck movement on the entire stretch. Again, in NCR, I did not see commercial vehicles going off the busiest National Highway 8 linking  Delhi with  Jaipur on 19 and 20 June.

All India strike by transport strikes can be effective only if all the three bodies come together with a clear agenda and a token strike for a day or two. Certainly not  an "indefinite strike". No fleet owner will be interested for long duration agitation. None of them have  the financial muscle to withstand losses. Stopping the movement of truck means mainly loss of business for that day plus other commitments such as EMI for vehicle purchase, driver salary. Work stoppage does not automatically lead to financiers offering a "moratorium" till the work resumes. Nor drivers can be allowed to  park vehicles and go home because none has an iota of idea when the "indefinite" strike will be called off.

Barring a few states, none of the lobby groups have invested or groomed leadership at the grassroot level. A typical Indian National Congress syndrome. Top heavy, bottom hollow.

What about their demands? Certainly genuine.

Let  me take you  back to 1979 in the United States when truckers went on a nationwide strike. Exactly, 40 years ago (22 June 1979), President Jimmy Carter said: "The truckers have many legitimate concerns... The key problems that face the truckers are the same as those that face all of  us: too little fuel at too high price."

The word 'indefinite' can be interpreted anyway one likes. It can be one day to one week to one month to whatever one's holidng capacity to stay from earning money in any business.

It took almost three months for the Carter administration to restore normalcy through various policy initiatives including Special Rule #9 roll out to ensure fuel for the farmers(!) primarily keeping food security in mind. Transporters came only after that at the the Iranian Revolution and the OPEC price hike at that time.

Did  the four day stirke impact the industry, basically the end users or the public? Nope. Any strike to succeed needs a strong leadership coupled with grassroot support.  None of  the lobby groups can claim that credit, notwithstanding the "All India" tag in their  names.

No, am not sarcastic. It's a ground reality. 

Interacting with long haul truck drivers at multiple points in India during these four days, we found the sadak sepoys have no  clue about the "indefinite strike".  Basically, their motor maliks never asked them to  stop loading and moving.

Generals can sketch grandiose plans. Ultimately, the foot soldiers have to execute.That connect is found missing in  ACOGOA case. Will AIMTC gearing up for  July 20 indefinite chakka jam make it a success? Worth watching.

By the way, ACOGOAmanaged to get an "exit" pass. For the time being that is. Because, they said,  the indefinite strike is not called off, but "postponed".

Will NItin Gadkari on his  return from foreign trip apply balm to the wounded transporters next week?

Let's wait and watch.📌