On the road with

Dar’Sel’Jamshedpur to Delhi

1-8 June, 2015

PART NINE

RAMESH KUMARChairperson,

KRK Foundation +Co-Founder,

Transport Mitra Services

Goodbye, Jamshedpur! After two days of hectic interactions in the Steel City, two vehicles carted us out. 1400 KMs to be covered from Jamshedpur to Delhi over the next 5 days with multiple halts at highway dhabas, visit to villages where Darcl pilots’ parivar lives in Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Besides abrupt halts on highways to catch up with Darcl pilots moving in either direction. Hardly after 100 km, we run into this Darcl pilot moving to Faridabad with Tata Steel load.

Pilots, once on the highways with load, are left to fend for themselves. A pilot with lime from Alwar, Rajasthan, for Patna, skids off the road and left stranded with no help. Remember this is a naxalite-infested area and he was forced to spend 2 nights alone before any help reached him.

Next halt is Jhumritalaya in Koderma. But the visit is to a village called, Udalu. A long ride from town into the countryside. It is so hot and the airconditioner in our vehicle failed unfortunately. So I jump and ride as pillion with a Darcl driver whose village we are visiting.Early in the day, loads of Malda mango, balancia (santra) etc were bought from the wholesale fruit bazaar.

It’s a typical rural setting. Cattle. Women. Children. Elders. Leisurely folk.

The site chosen for interaction is under a big tree. Chairs quickly emerge and women move into a cow shelter and cattle later moved out. Children and men on one side. A pool of water creates a bit of distance. Selvan prefers a log of wood as his seat.

Educational facilities or lack of it in this village of 100 homes is raised. Education quality and teacher capability discussed with students. Lack of toilets in girls high school raised. Girls and boys, studying in three different private and government schools desire two things: computer education and English.

Women talk about lack of healthcare facilities for them. They respond positively to create a Self Help Group and do something that would fetch some additional income to their kitty. Emergencies mean a 40 km ride on a motor cycle into Barhi, the nearest town with tolerable healthcare institutions. Mobility is through a share phat-phat that comes twice daily to this village from Koderma: once in the morning and once in evening.

Khushboo Yadav is the name of this six year child, suffering from some rare skin disease with no remedy so far in the state of Jharkhand. Her skin keeps falling. Darcl promised to give medical help to this child.

Its fun time: balloon bursting competition. Boys and girls separately compete to fill them with air and burst as quickly as possible. They freak out. Good pastime. A nice group photo before we move into the next most awaited item of gifting Darcl driver parivar. Not under the tree, but inside homes.

Fun time continues…

Children, though heard about PM Narendra Modi’s selfie diplomacy, never tried till now. We enable them to go for a “selfie”.

Some villagers prefer an ‘exclusive’ photo op, while many chase for limited supply of balloons.

Gifting ceremony in full bloom followed by Nishant Tanay briefing them about Darcl’s scholarship initiative for Pilots’ children. Score well to avail of Darcl goodwill & assistance.

Another village. Smart children of Darcl pilots. Sky opens up to reduce the unbearable June heat. A big relief.

One final halt for Day 4. The unbearable heat forces us to halt for several ice apples (taal, trinaaraaj, nungu, munjalu etc in various Indian languages) on the roadside. No Coke, Pepsi can do the actual job of quenching one’s thirst as good as these natural Indian stuff.

Concluding halt for Day 4. Gifting done, we bid goodbye to these Darcl pilot parivar. Great day!