An off the cuff travel diary of a wanderlust

1. RAMESH KUMAR

2. Holi 2014.
Delhi winter is off.
Nothing to do with the heat generated
by the General Election 2014
announcement. Generally, Holi
announces the arrival of Summer in
India – particularly in North.
Indeed, a jolly ‘colourful’ festival.
I enjoy the colouring ceremony.
This year is no exception. Spouse and
children have applied multi-colours.
The only difference this year is I have
gone ‘Dry”. No water. Just colour
powder.
But my pet parakeet – Kurkure – does
not approve of this ‘buffoonery’,
perhaps. Look at his reactions.
A cold, hard look.
In the next couple of hours, I would be
off….
March 17, 2014 :: Monday

3. Yes, packed and ready for a highway trip
starting from Kolkota in West Bengal and
ending in Jamshedpur or Tata Nagar in
Jharkhand.
My baggage is always light. But,
accompaniment is sizeable.
Automotive Skill Development Council
Caps – not 1 or 2… But 100.
For distribution among truck drivers
whom I will be bumping into at highway
dhabas this week.
How many dhabas? No idea.
Kurkure, if you notice, is examining my
baggage while I wait for the Ola Cabs to
pick me from home to New Delhi railway
station
March 17, 2014 :: Monday

4. Sirajuddin, owner-driver of Ola Cabs
from Mewat, Haryana, reached me to
New Delhi Railway Station in less than
half an hour, thanks to empty roads.
The railway station was incredibly neat
and clean and certainly did not look like
an Indian station: always dirty, smelly
and used coffee cups and empty snack
packets lying all around.
Duranto AC Express I was taking to
Kolkota is a contribution from West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
when she held the portfolio of Ministry
of Railways a few years ago at the
Centre.
It is a point to point, non-stop AC train
and well received.
Honestly, I love this train for long hauls.
March 17, 2014 :: MondayMarch 17, 2014 :: Monday

5. Meet Pradipto Bhattacharya.
Pre-Diwali 2013, I met him. He works for
Karmayog/ GlobalTHEN – an institution
educating cab drivers on soft skills.
Delhi-based Senior Manager Pradipto B
is a veteran soft skill teacher.
Karmayog/GlobalTHEN was exploring to
move into truck driver segment and that
is how we fell into the lap of each other.
Since then, Pradipto & I have travelled
together and did a few interactions on
Indian highways with our target group.
Now, again we are going together on this
trip.
March 17, 2014 :: Monday

6. If it is Amby – I mean, Ambassador – and its yellow all body cab, you ought to be in Kokota.
Nowhere else in India – correct me if I am wrong – you will witness Amby in such huge numbers.
Whatever one may say about this once upon a time favourite of the power elite, nothing to
match a ride in this ancient passenger car. Sturdy as a pachyderm. Outside Sealdah railway
station as we look around for a cab, we could not find anything else except the yellow ones. No
choice. Take it or leave it. We did take.
March 18, 2014 :: Tuesday

7. The Sealdah station is getting a fresh coat of paint. White. Orange. Parrot Green. Last time, I
had passed through the portals of this ancient railhead while researching on trade facilitations
for Indo-Bangladesh trade two years ago. It was raining cats and dogs then and two Kolkota-
based pals came to receive. Though the next two night stay is at Alipore – a quiet and posh area
– the ride through the most congested urban roads teeming with trams, hand pulled rickshaws,
March 18, 2014 :: Tuesday

8. The first port of call was at Karmayog (inset), floated by Sourav Sircar, an IIT-Kharagpur alumni
who took to spreading education using technology. Pradipto Bhattacharya works along with
him imparting soft skills to cab drivers and possibly truck drivers in the near future. An amazing
initiative. Met him for the first time at Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards in January this
year in Delhi. Truly, a karma yogi. A dedicated band of associates numbering 200 operate out of
March 18, 2014 :: Tuesday

9. To be continued