(PHOTO: A stretch of NH 33 through thick forest area)
Forty minutes after we were flagged off from Jamshedpur Transport Yard by Credence Logistics team on Valentine's Day (which sponsored the 1650 km onroad trip), we ran into darkness associated with highways. As is to be expected, there were no roadlights and one gets the sense of road at night with the vehicle lights in both directions. At times it is irritating to get powerful lights from the opposite direction. Can't help it.
"We hope to cross Jharkhand tonite and enter Bihar tomorrow morning," said Anil Pandeyji. We were cruising at 45 kmph on the dual carriageway NH33. The highway was not bad. Tolerable so to say. Better than NH 24 - linking Lucknow with Delhi particulalry the stretch between Rampur and Garhmukteshwar which were full of potholes and road expansion work in full swing.
(PHOTO: Anil Pandeyji at the steering in Raymonds' clothing)
But Pandeyji did not anticipate a communal flare up at Ramgaon - say 70 km away from Jamshedpur - in the Naxal-infested terrain. We began to spot a heavy posse of armoured vehicles of police in their camouflaged clothing. "Any Naxalite attack?" I demanded because I was repeatedly cautioned about the Naxalite menace in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh states.
In fact, my decision to travel in this segment was prompted by taunting from industry folks that my previous Chennai-Gurgaon 2800 km onroad trip was a "cakewalk" since the highway on that segment was almost world class and no naxalite-type challenges.
The talk about Naxalites led to a lot of discussion inside the cabin as Pandeyji began to unravel his own past experience in this segment. He has been driving through Jharkhand carrying Tata STeel products to northern India for Credence Logistics for many seasons. Earlier he used to traverse the same segment carrying liquified gas for his previous employer.
"When the Naxalites impose curfew, you better strictly adhere to that. When they say they won't allow any movement, park your vehicle in safe zones and stay away. Don't show your guts by driving and taunt them. They don't like it," he says.
It is not only steel products - non-perishable goods - travel through this trouble area. Perishables as well as gas with time-bound delivery are pass through. At times, drivers are under pressure.
Once a gas tanker decided to take chance and drove on a curfew day. Out of nowhere from the jungle jutting on both sides of the road, a couple of shots rang out - targetted at the gas tanker. Next month, the tanker has halted and the driver much to his consternation found front and rear tyres on left side were flattened. A few moments later, two naxalites, holding arms walked up to the driver to give a tight slap and reprimanded him before walking away.
The frightened driver called up his manager over phone to narrate the incident. He was point blank told that he should not have attempted crossing on a curfew day. "What if the bullets have hit the tanker instead of tyre?"
What about trucks getting waylaid? Yes, they do happen. Naxalites, hiding in the thick cover of jungle need necessities like food (rice, lentils, vegetables etc). So the carriers with food articles are targetted. But no harm is done to them.
There is a flip side to it. Ananya Gupta of IBM/Kolkota, who has travelled in this segment, has his own take.
"I guess since you started from Jamshedpur from Mango/Sakchi/Adityapur or crossed them let me share a bit of what I saw. Trucks fear entering Naxalite strongholds at night.The problem is not only Naxalites but also those who pose as Naxalites to extort in cash and kind. At places groups stand with simple sticks and home made arms a couple of feet away from the largest of the potholes so that the driver has no escape.Many still do not dare to travel the ghati section in the late evenings .The same also goes for the Chandil-Purulia route!"
(PHOTO: Anti-naxal campaign poster put out by Govt of India)
Our patience was running out while we were stranded in darkness. There was a mile long queue of trucks mostly on one side. Sporadically trucks came from the other direction, whose drivers were halted by Pandeyji to get a hang of what's on.
That's when we heard about the communal flare up at Ramgaon, 10 kilometres away from where we were waiting. At a Hindu temple situated at Ramgaon, a Muslim contractor was asked to provide mobile electric generator set for a festival in progress two days ago. However, when the generator failed the temple authorities brought in another generator service provider (a Hindu, this time).
When the Muslim contractor approached for payment, he was appraised of the faulty set and denied compensation. The argument thickened leading to some physical assault from both sides. The previous day, the Muslims have blockaded the highway to protest against the miscarriage of justice. Today (Feb 14), it was the turn of Hindus to voice their anger over the Muslim attack. The local administration did intervene to sort out the mess. Meanwhile, the smooth and free flow of goods movement on national highway was affected for many hours.
Maybe after two hours, our truck began to move. We halted at the first dhaba past the temple for dinner. Pandeyji accosted the owner to know more details and advice on what next: should be travel further or halt? With this recent flare up, there was sufficient deployment of armoured vehicles on the highway. On the one hand, nothing to worry and so we could proceed. However, on second thoughts, why take risk? Stay put. Sleep out the night at Ramgaon and resume next morning. It is just a question of few hours delay. Both arguments were valid.
Pandeyji pondered a while and opted for the second option. We decided to sleep out at Ramgaon. He requested the dhaba owner to wake us four in the morning. My first night out on this trip was spent inside the Tata truck in the lower berth. It was cold. While Pandeyji climbed into the top berth, Pervez opted to sleep on the front two seats separated by the engine hood which was covered with thick woollen blankets to provide softness.
Did we rise at 4 a.m.? Good question. We did not. Why? When there was a loud knock on our doors at the prefixed hour, Pandeyji shooed him away with, "Go, go. We will wake up in five minutes."
Actually that five minutes multiplied into at least two more hours. By the time, we rose and rode out of the Ramgaon dhaba, the sun was out in full glory and the wrist watch read 6:50 a.m.!
The road was really bad. I kept asking Pandeyji: when will we hit a pucca, macadamised national highway? "By noon, Sirji!" he responded. We would be hitting NH 2 linking Kolkota with Delhi at that point. Then till we touch Benares and turn towards Lucknow, it would be a 4-lane carriageway, he promised. I began to dream of smooth ride.
So, before sunset on Day 2 I would have exited Jharkhand, entered and exited Bihar and entered Uttar Pradesh. Wow!
Two states I would have crossed and three more to go before I step out at Ludhaina over the next five days.
I began to feel hunger pangs. When will we halt for breakfast? What are the chances of a bath? I was absolutely clueless.
(To be continued)
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