On the road to Sawai Madhopur-3
“You’re a chameleon (गिरगिट), sir,” said Mukesh Prajapati, my travel companion on the 900 km round trip of Gurugram-Sawai Madhopur-Gurugram via Jaipur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Agra, Mathura and Gurugram over three days.
My companions, SWIFT Roadlink Santosh Srivastav and driver supplier Sarwinder Kumar were eyeing my reaction to the bearded Prajapati’s short comment. Was it critical or praise?
What made you to say so, Mukesh?
“We watched the way you changed your behaviour with all age groups over the past two days,” was his response with a glint in his eye.
What was he referring to?
The two-day visit to Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, was to meet, greet and chat with the families of truck drivers serving Swift Roadlink, whom I consulted on how to improve the company’s relationship with its flock of drivers, numbering 200 plus spread across the Hindi belt, mostly.
In the course of hobnobbing with 100 plus parivar of SWIFT drivers — grandparents, parents, spouse, kids, nephews and nieces and dose aur padosi in the single kaccha pathway, our Kia had to trundle between sewerage, rainwater drainage paths or iron or man-made fences with dried plants and shrubs on both sides (that narrow was the car path!), I hugged, shook hands, patted youngsters, grandparents, parents, and sometimes spouses, and kissed kids on their cheeks or heads. Pure display of love and affection. Nothing more or nothing less. On the highways, too, unmindful of the cleanliness of their drivers, I repeated the same exercise.
The human touch is the most valuable asset for gaining confidence before obtaining respect. At some locations, we made the shy young spouses lift their veil and show their eyes for photographs with them. Did we succeed? Absolutely. Our engagement strategies were a roaring success, with none refusing, citing the religion or custom of dehati ladies not looking into the eyes of strangers or visitors directly.
The elders encouraged their women to oblige our request. Was it because I was seventy, not seventeen? Whatever it was, it was a hit as part of the parivar connect engagement with the truck drivers at their den.
Studies have proved that physical touch is crucial in relationships as it “fosters emotional security, reduces stress, strengthens bonds.” It is a non-sexual gesture. The clear message Is: I value you, and this handshake or pat on the back is a tool to convey that sandesh.
Two decades ago, on a Friday visit to the Sohar market in Oman with colleague Deepak Balakrishnan to understand the local customs, we were politely told not to click photos of women because they apprehended photographs captured their souls. Touch was out of the question. Men, we hugged.
A few summers ago, at the warehouse of Mondelez International in Kolkatta, where we were hosting a Driver Day Utsav, two long-haul drivers from Haryana were ecstatic when we hugged them. “Hame jappi chahiye, pappi nahi!”. He was telling us to treat drivers like any human being. We as a society don’t do that. It is a pity.
After leaving the hotel, Mukesh first stopped at Sawai Madhopur, a confectionary shop, to buy balloon packets and a huge jar of candies. “Why?” I asked. “Wait and see,” I told him.
The routine was simple at every house (a dozen we visited): a simple namaste to the elders and an introduction that their son drives trucks for SWIFT, and we are here to thank them for helping us run the business. Next on the agenda was to present them with a box of sweets, a T-shirt, and some fruits. If the driver happens to be physically present, he unzips the T-shirt, feels the fabric and wears it. If he is not at home, the parents do that! Yes, they wear the T-shirt.
The kids, biting their nails, look at the strange activities. That’s when the balloons and toffee jar come in handy. A competition among them is unleashed. Blow and burst the balloon. The first one to complete gets to put their hands into the jar and take as many toffees as they want.
The ice is broken. There is merriment all around. Elders cheer them on. Some kids are victories. They finish the task and rush to collect their toffees. Another balloon is dished out. Blow burst, and come again to pick your toffees. The word about this tamasha spreads, and the children in the neighbourhood join the game!
HR honcho Santosh quietly explains the Parivar Connect concept to them. At SWIFT, he tells them they look beyond drivers and want to get closer to drivers’ families. This trip to their village is part of that agenda. The Parivar Connect concept is a strategic initiative at SWIFT that aims to foster stronger relationships with the families of their drivers, recognising their crucial role in their lives and work. Kabhi dekha nahi, kabhi suna nahi. Kabhi dekha nahi, kabhi suna nahi. Ajeeb hai! We hear them say.
Short of crawling on the floor along with the tiny tots, we perform all antics in their company.
Elderly ladies helped us break the ice with the younger womenfolk, thus opening the communication channels. Not once did we feel we were in a strange land. There was so much bonhomie. We sat on the parapet to chat with those comfortable in such settings.
It was Mukesh, Sarwinder, and HR Santosh’s maiden outing for a Parivar Connect programme. For me, such events have been part of my agenda for more than a decade. I lost count of such driver engagements, including regular visits to their homes, family events, and even providing support during personal crises.
In mid-April 2013, we visited a primary healthcare centre in Burhi, Jharkhand, on our village visits. The kid’s nani asked my colleague Selvan Dasaraj to hold the two-hour-old newborn baby of a truck driver. “God has sent you to bless the child. His father is away somewhere, driving a truck. After her mother and myself, you’re the first male to touch the child,” the grandmother said with tears rolling down her cheeks. It was an emotional moment.
After the first engagement at driver-cum-guarantor Mufir Khan’s home, Mukesh, Sarwinder, and Santosh were into the game. No holding back. The joy of making others feel happy through such genuine and warm gestures is uplifting and inspiring.
Sarwinder, one of the main driver suppliers or guarantors, asked, “When can we plan a similar Parivart Connect with my flock of drivers in Uttar Pradesh (Mainpuri, Etawah, Agra, etc.)?”
“I’m half chameleon now,” blurts out Mukesh after 900km Parivar Connect Programme @ Sawai Madhopur as we bid goodbye with a reunion on a similar mission sometime shortly.
(more to come)
