1) The document describes a day spent by the author engaging with truck drivers in Kolkata, India to discuss road safety. They traveled to locations where drivers pick up passengers to distribute information and hold interactive discussions. 2) One discussion was held with cab drivers at a tech hub, where an actor engaged the drivers through demonstrations and games to teach safety and hygiene in an entertaining way. 3) The document highlights one driver, Dayan Yadav, who cleaned up his appearance between meetings, receiving applause for his new look.

1. RAMESH KUMAR

2. What was
Pradipto Bhattacharya
upto @ Bantala & Sector 5?
*
What’s so great about
Dayan Yadav,
driver from Darbhanga?
*
KICKER:
How can Kolkotans be so
inhuman?
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

3. Another Day. Another task. Well, it was one of those engagement-packed days. It is simply not
possible or even advisable to meet anyone empty handed. It does not look nice. You need to
carry something to give out. So, I was getting ready for the day’s outing with ASDC caps,
balloons and some road safety brochures in Hindi. For whom, these are meant? My target
audience: truck drivers.
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

4. Once the material for distribution is
ready, next came the need to ferry.
Sanjoy Chowdhury, Area Manager (East)
of Mahindra Logistics came with his
Tamil Nadu-registered Maruti 800.
Sanjoy, yes, earlier worked in Chennai .
Though shifted base to his hometown a
few years ago, he has not changed his
car registration. It is still TN… Not WB..
Long time since travelled in Maruti 800.
Everyone’s choice and the most popular
Indian passenger car from the stable of
Suzuki stable.
If it was Amby the previous day, it is
Maruti today. A systematic progression.
No Great Leap Forward!
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

5. How can one begin any day’s work at
office without a cuppa of hot tea?
For us, a strict no-no for the dipped tea.
Tea/chai is ordered from roadside
vendor. “Chottu” (The little boy) walks in
with his kettle full of garam chai and
serves in the biodegradable earthern
pots.
You drink and throw/crush these
earthern containers. No plastic cups.
By the way, this chai was heavenly.
Thousand times better than you-know-
what..
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

6. Post morning tea session, we motored
down to Bantala on the outskirts of
Kolkota for an interaction with cab
drivers who pick/drop India’s famous
“cyber warriors” at Cognizant
Technology Solutions.
Sanjoy keeps reminding us that the road
to Bantala was once a grand dump yard.
Even Bantala would have emerged as a
huge Info Tech hub but for making room
for leather industry in the same belt
forcing many prospective IT biggies from
pitching tent in this vast space.
Smelly environ, strictly no no …Barring
Congnizant, one does not see white
collar young code writers.
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

7. The full force of Mahindra Logistics Kolkota team lands up to assist this driver interact. Yoginder
Rawat, Head of Operations & Audit, (fourth from left) who happens to be on a visit from Delhi
also joins the programme. “Karmayog”’s Pradipto B (extreme left) is geared up for his act.
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

8. Between Pradipto grilling and imparting suggestions on the need for wearing safety belts and
personal hygiene, there is fun too. Drivers compete to blow air and forcefully burst balloons.
They enjoy. An element of excitement and engagement to make safety lessons less boring!
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

9. Now the venue changed. It’s Sector 5 … another KPO/BPO hub in Kolkota. But activities remain
the same: Pradipto B engages them through his theatrical activities between knowledge-sharing
on road safety and personal hygiene. Education for elders too need to contain entertainment.
Yes, EDUTAINMENT!
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

10. Must tell you this story… Meet Dayan Yadav, father of two from Darbhanga, Bihar and cab
driver. At Bantala, he heard us talking about why not drivers dress up better? Two hours later,
he reappears with a clean shaven and combed hair at Sector 5. Look at the difference in his
looks. Yes, he received the loudest applause!
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

11. As sun sets on the Kolkota horizon, Pradipto B and rest pack up for the day. But my day is still
not over. I rush to other end of Kolkota for a darshan and dialogue with Krishna Kumar Bansal, a
leading transporter (specialising in tea movement from north east to rest of India). He speaks
and I listen. Tiring day, but enriching.
March 19, 2014 :: Wednesday

12. To be continued