In Solidarity: Upendra for The Darjeeling Chronicle
The three-day strike called by the Darjeeling Truck Drivers’ Association (DTDA) against the continued harassment of truck drivers from The Hills by the Bengal police posted in the plains, and the delay in repairing National Highway - 55, is one act of rebellion, which needs applause and support from the greater hill community.
This strike is as much about rebelling against the current norms, as it is about rebelling against the desperation one feels when the whole system is deliberately stacked against you.
At present, this desperation was felt by everyone - be they truck drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, or even private vehicle owners from The Hills that have to go down to the plains. Each day, numerous instances of vehicles from the hills being targeted and fleeced by the cops under the Siliguri Commissionerate are reported extensively to TheDC and other social media sites.
But no one had dared to protest against these atrocious acts of looting that the police in Siliguri were indulging in, until the DTDA decided to take the bull by the horns.
The DTDA, which was formed in 1976, is one of the oldest transport organizations in the Darjeeling hills, and also one of the most powerful. They derive their power not from an affiliation to any political party, but from the unity amongst their members. At close to 700 strong, the DTDA members consist of drivers from all over the Darjeeling and Kurseong subdivisions.
The drivers come from all strata of our society. Some may only be Class 8-Passed, while some have completed their graduation, and a few who have even earned Masters Degrees.
As a youngster, I have myself worked as a “khalasi” or handy-boy for one of the trucks for a short period of time, which has afforded me the rare luxury of having an insight into a world seldom seen by the majority of the people... and from what I have seen and observed, I have gained deep respect and appreciation for the truck drivers and the DTDA. I believe that we as a community can learn a lot from them.
The most popular joke in the truck-driving circles is also the most heart-breaking. The drivers joke that when others are asked 'Naani katro bhako cha?' (How tall is your child?), they level their hand against a part of their own body and say ‘This tall’ or ‘This short’. But when truck-drivers are asked the same question, they have to point out the length horizontally and say – ‘Etro bhako chha’ - because they don't get to see their child growing up… When they leave their home in the morning to unload their trucks, the child is still sleeping... When they get home after the unloading, the child has left for school... And by the time they get back home at night, the child is sleeping again... So they don't get to see how tall their child is. They have to make do with knowing how long he or she looks while stretched out on a bed.
But despite the hardships, the truck drivers in Darjeeling are of a different breed of transporters. Their organization is one of the most decentralized, and their unity is unparalleled by any labour organization from anywhere else in India. Their various Sakhas (branches/units) range from Bijanbari Sakha, Ghoom-Sukhia Sakha, Jorebunglow-Tin Mile Sakha, Sonada-Ranbgull Sakha, Kurseong Sakha, Tindharey-Mahanadi Sakha, Siliguri Sakha, Water-Tank Sakha, Petrol-Tank Sakha, and Darjeeling Sakha.
UNITED THEY STOOD
Right off the bat, what makes the DTDA stand out from the crowd is the fact that they don’t have any political affiliations, and they have fiercely guarded this political neutrality even when threats were issued to their office bearers by various political organizations. For instance, back during the 1986 Andolan days when all the organizations in The Hills had to pledge allegiance to the GNLF by prefixing ‘Gorkha’ to their organization title, the DTDA refused to do so. It is said that their office bearers were then brought in front of Subash Ghising by the GVCs. When Ghising asked them their reasons for refusing to add the word ‘Gorkha’ to their name, the DTDA officials calmly explained that if they did so their trade union registration would be cancelled and this would lead to the harassment of the drivers. Once Ghising understood their reasons, he allowed them to keep their original name and told the GVCs not to interfere with the DTDA. “It was not just their logic that had persuaded Ghising to not interfere, but it was their principles that had impressed him,” lamented an old timer.
Immediately after their formation, they then fought for their right to Fair Pay. Earlier, the pay of a truck driver, much like the pay of every other driver in Darjeeling today, was set through a negotiation between the individual driver and the owner of the truck. Because of this, truck drivers were rampantly exploited at the hands of the truck owners. Realizing this, the drivers launched another prolonged agitation. After nearly 3 years of public demonstrations, petitioning, and negotiations, the truck drivers were finally accorded the status of ‘Skilled Labourers’ by the West Bengal Government, under which the truck drivers became eligible to be included under the Minimum Wages Act. With every wage revision the wages of the truck drivers rises, and even though the wages are not as high as they should be, they still provide the drivers dignified salaries.
Those people to whom this seems like a trivial achievement should contrast this to the fact that the tea garden labourers, who are much larger in number and have political affiliations, are still striving to fight for their right to be included under the Minimum Wages Act.
Most of you may be surprised to know that amongst all the transporters in the Darjeeling Hills, it is only the truck drivers who get 1 day off per week. Back in the 1990s, when the concepts of fair-labour-practices were just germinating in India, the DTDA fought for their right to Dignified Labour. Their protracted agitation of over two years finally won them the right to take every Sunday off.
Not resting on their laurels, the DTDA carried on with their agitation. Back in 1995, when the Matigara truck stand was built, all the trucks were required to go and mandatorily park there, which meant harassment to the Hill-based truck drivers. Another round of agitation ensued, which finally led to the administration relenting and allowing the Darjeeling based trucks to build a permanent stand near the Darjeeling More – a rare victory for a Hill-based organization in Bengal.
SOCIAL WELFARE
Currently, the truck drivers in Darjeeling enjoy a host of facilities which other transporters are not privy to.
As soon as someone joins the DTDA as a member, they are provided with an insurance cover of Rs. 1 lakh by the association. This insurance lasts for as long as the individual remains a member.
In case of a life-threatening diseases relating to cancer, the heart, or the kidneys, to treat which a member has to leave the Darjeeling district, he will be given close to Rs. 1.75 Lakhs for treatment. Out of which, Rs 50,000 is given by the DTDA from their funds and the remaining 1.25 lakh comes from the individual contributions, of Rs. 200 each, made by each driver of the home sakha of the member, and Rs. 150 each from other sakhas as Saghau – monetary assistance.
In case of non-life threatening illnesses, if a member is hospitalized then his family is given Rs. 300 per day as a relief fund to a maximum of 30 days. So if a member becomes sick and is hospitalized for say 10 days then DTDA provides his family Rs. 3000 as relief fund, and if the member is sick for 20 days then the relief fund paid is Rs 6000 and so on.
You can very well see how helpful this money would be in case of such medical emergencies.
In the case of a member’s death, the DTDA provides roughly around Rs 2.5 Lakhs to the next of kin. Out of which, Rs. 1 lakh comes from the insurance coverage provided by the association, Rs. 50,000 comes from the DTDA funds, and remaining Rs. 1 Lakh comes from donations collected at the rate of Rs. 200 per member from the deceased member’s home sakha, and Rs 150 each from other sakhas as Saghau – monetary assistance. In addition to this, when a member dies, the DTDA then secures the next-of-kin facilities due to him from the truck-owner’s side – which can add another Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 Lakh in monetary compensations for the family.
Before the formation of the DTDA, if a truck driver died, very few would attend his funeral. Today, all the trucks shut down for the day of the funeral, which not only helps in providing social support to the bereaved family, but also provides an amazing sense of solidarity and support amongst the members.
In addition to this, in the case of the death of a member’s parents, the DTDA provides Rs. 5000 as relief funds to the member concerned.
It is not only in case of illness or death that the truck drivers support each other, but also in the celebrations of life. If a child of a truck driver performs very well in board exams, then depending on the level of exam cleared the DTDA provides the child a merit scholarship ranging from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,000.
In order to promote further bonding avenues, each year, the DTDA organizes Inter Truck-Drivers Football Tournament, wherein members from various sakhas (units) compete against each other. This year, the tournament dedicated to Late. Ganesh Pradhan of Sonada who was a long time Secretary of the DTDA until his death, is currently underway with matches being held every Sunday at Rungbull football ground. If you are in the neighborhood, I highly encourage you to go see the truck drivers battle it out. You won’t find a more passionate group of football players or supporters anywhere in the world.
LESSONS FOR US
The truck drivers who are often looked upon with disdain and apathy by the ‘educated’ sections of the society, and as people belonging to the lower strata of the society, have a lot to teach us. Their visionary and selfless office bearers and hard-working members have created a strong bond of support, encouragement and fraternity which is rarely seen in our society today. Our politicians will do well to imitate the office bearers of the DTDA, whose selfless work has helped in transforming the lives of their members and turned their organization into one of the most important pillars of suppport for their members.
While the rest of Darjeeling is disintegrating into Jat-Jati-Bhasa-Bhesh etc, the truck drivers are today showing us the way forward on how to live our life. Much like in the army, once you join the Darjeeling Truck Drivers Association you lose all other aspects of personal identity. All you retain is that sense of belonging and fraternity, and the knowledge that someone is there to watch your back.
As a former Khalasi, I thank all of you for the important life lessons that you have bestowed upon me…
I thank you all for teaching me, in real terms, that in unity lies strength!! I thank you all for not only your humble services to our society, but also for being a beacon of hope, which if emulated, can transform all of Darjeeling and the rest of India, for the better.
Source: DC
The three-day strike called by the Darjeeling Truck Drivers’ Association (DTDA) against the continued harassment of truck drivers from The Hills by the Bengal police posted in the plains, and the delay in repairing National Highway - 55, is one act of rebellion, which needs applause and support from the greater hill community.
 |
| The DTDA logo which is designed to show that the hands hold the steering, also hold the key to the world. |
At present, this desperation was felt by everyone - be they truck drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, or even private vehicle owners from The Hills that have to go down to the plains. Each day, numerous instances of vehicles from the hills being targeted and fleeced by the cops under the Siliguri Commissionerate are reported extensively to TheDC and other social media sites.
But no one had dared to protest against these atrocious acts of looting that the police in Siliguri were indulging in, until the DTDA decided to take the bull by the horns.
The DTDA, which was formed in 1976, is one of the oldest transport organizations in the Darjeeling hills, and also one of the most powerful. They derive their power not from an affiliation to any political party, but from the unity amongst their members. At close to 700 strong, the DTDA members consist of drivers from all over the Darjeeling and Kurseong subdivisions.
The drivers come from all strata of our society. Some may only be Class 8-Passed, while some have completed their graduation, and a few who have even earned Masters Degrees.
As a youngster, I have myself worked as a “khalasi” or handy-boy for one of the trucks for a short period of time, which has afforded me the rare luxury of having an insight into a world seldom seen by the majority of the people... and from what I have seen and observed, I have gained deep respect and appreciation for the truck drivers and the DTDA. I believe that we as a community can learn a lot from them.
The most popular joke in the truck-driving circles is also the most heart-breaking. The drivers joke that when others are asked 'Naani katro bhako cha?' (How tall is your child?), they level their hand against a part of their own body and say ‘This tall’ or ‘This short’. But when truck-drivers are asked the same question, they have to point out the length horizontally and say – ‘Etro bhako chha’ - because they don't get to see their child growing up… When they leave their home in the morning to unload their trucks, the child is still sleeping... When they get home after the unloading, the child has left for school... And by the time they get back home at night, the child is sleeping again... So they don't get to see how tall their child is. They have to make do with knowing how long he or she looks while stretched out on a bed.
But despite the hardships, the truck drivers in Darjeeling are of a different breed of transporters. Their organization is one of the most decentralized, and their unity is unparalleled by any labour organization from anywhere else in India. Their various Sakhas (branches/units) range from Bijanbari Sakha, Ghoom-Sukhia Sakha, Jorebunglow-Tin Mile Sakha, Sonada-Ranbgull Sakha, Kurseong Sakha, Tindharey-Mahanadi Sakha, Siliguri Sakha, Water-Tank Sakha, Petrol-Tank Sakha, and Darjeeling Sakha.
UNITED THEY STOOD
Right off the bat, what makes the DTDA stand out from the crowd is the fact that they don’t have any political affiliations, and they have fiercely guarded this political neutrality even when threats were issued to their office bearers by various political organizations. For instance, back during the 1986 Andolan days when all the organizations in The Hills had to pledge allegiance to the GNLF by prefixing ‘Gorkha’ to their organization title, the DTDA refused to do so. It is said that their office bearers were then brought in front of Subash Ghising by the GVCs. When Ghising asked them their reasons for refusing to add the word ‘Gorkha’ to their name, the DTDA officials calmly explained that if they did so their trade union registration would be cancelled and this would lead to the harassment of the drivers. Once Ghising understood their reasons, he allowed them to keep their original name and told the GVCs not to interfere with the DTDA. “It was not just their logic that had persuaded Ghising to not interfere, but it was their principles that had impressed him,” lamented an old timer.
Immediately after their formation, they then fought for their right to Fair Pay. Earlier, the pay of a truck driver, much like the pay of every other driver in Darjeeling today, was set through a negotiation between the individual driver and the owner of the truck. Because of this, truck drivers were rampantly exploited at the hands of the truck owners. Realizing this, the drivers launched another prolonged agitation. After nearly 3 years of public demonstrations, petitioning, and negotiations, the truck drivers were finally accorded the status of ‘Skilled Labourers’ by the West Bengal Government, under which the truck drivers became eligible to be included under the Minimum Wages Act. With every wage revision the wages of the truck drivers rises, and even though the wages are not as high as they should be, they still provide the drivers dignified salaries.
Those people to whom this seems like a trivial achievement should contrast this to the fact that the tea garden labourers, who are much larger in number and have political affiliations, are still striving to fight for their right to be included under the Minimum Wages Act.
Most of you may be surprised to know that amongst all the transporters in the Darjeeling Hills, it is only the truck drivers who get 1 day off per week. Back in the 1990s, when the concepts of fair-labour-practices were just germinating in India, the DTDA fought for their right to Dignified Labour. Their protracted agitation of over two years finally won them the right to take every Sunday off.
Not resting on their laurels, the DTDA carried on with their agitation. Back in 1995, when the Matigara truck stand was built, all the trucks were required to go and mandatorily park there, which meant harassment to the Hill-based truck drivers. Another round of agitation ensued, which finally led to the administration relenting and allowing the Darjeeling based trucks to build a permanent stand near the Darjeeling More – a rare victory for a Hill-based organization in Bengal.
SOCIAL WELFARE
Currently, the truck drivers in Darjeeling enjoy a host of facilities which other transporters are not privy to.
As soon as someone joins the DTDA as a member, they are provided with an insurance cover of Rs. 1 lakh by the association. This insurance lasts for as long as the individual remains a member.
In case of a life-threatening diseases relating to cancer, the heart, or the kidneys, to treat which a member has to leave the Darjeeling district, he will be given close to Rs. 1.75 Lakhs for treatment. Out of which, Rs 50,000 is given by the DTDA from their funds and the remaining 1.25 lakh comes from the individual contributions, of Rs. 200 each, made by each driver of the home sakha of the member, and Rs. 150 each from other sakhas as Saghau – monetary assistance.
In case of non-life threatening illnesses, if a member is hospitalized then his family is given Rs. 300 per day as a relief fund to a maximum of 30 days. So if a member becomes sick and is hospitalized for say 10 days then DTDA provides his family Rs. 3000 as relief fund, and if the member is sick for 20 days then the relief fund paid is Rs 6000 and so on.
You can very well see how helpful this money would be in case of such medical emergencies.
In the case of a member’s death, the DTDA provides roughly around Rs 2.5 Lakhs to the next of kin. Out of which, Rs. 1 lakh comes from the insurance coverage provided by the association, Rs. 50,000 comes from the DTDA funds, and remaining Rs. 1 Lakh comes from donations collected at the rate of Rs. 200 per member from the deceased member’s home sakha, and Rs 150 each from other sakhas as Saghau – monetary assistance. In addition to this, when a member dies, the DTDA then secures the next-of-kin facilities due to him from the truck-owner’s side – which can add another Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 Lakh in monetary compensations for the family.
Before the formation of the DTDA, if a truck driver died, very few would attend his funeral. Today, all the trucks shut down for the day of the funeral, which not only helps in providing social support to the bereaved family, but also provides an amazing sense of solidarity and support amongst the members.
In addition to this, in the case of the death of a member’s parents, the DTDA provides Rs. 5000 as relief funds to the member concerned.
It is not only in case of illness or death that the truck drivers support each other, but also in the celebrations of life. If a child of a truck driver performs very well in board exams, then depending on the level of exam cleared the DTDA provides the child a merit scholarship ranging from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,000.
In order to promote further bonding avenues, each year, the DTDA organizes Inter Truck-Drivers Football Tournament, wherein members from various sakhas (units) compete against each other. This year, the tournament dedicated to Late. Ganesh Pradhan of Sonada who was a long time Secretary of the DTDA until his death, is currently underway with matches being held every Sunday at Rungbull football ground. If you are in the neighborhood, I highly encourage you to go see the truck drivers battle it out. You won’t find a more passionate group of football players or supporters anywhere in the world.
LESSONS FOR US
The truck drivers who are often looked upon with disdain and apathy by the ‘educated’ sections of the society, and as people belonging to the lower strata of the society, have a lot to teach us. Their visionary and selfless office bearers and hard-working members have created a strong bond of support, encouragement and fraternity which is rarely seen in our society today. Our politicians will do well to imitate the office bearers of the DTDA, whose selfless work has helped in transforming the lives of their members and turned their organization into one of the most important pillars of suppport for their members.
While the rest of Darjeeling is disintegrating into Jat-Jati-Bhasa-Bhesh etc, the truck drivers are today showing us the way forward on how to live our life. Much like in the army, once you join the Darjeeling Truck Drivers Association you lose all other aspects of personal identity. All you retain is that sense of belonging and fraternity, and the knowledge that someone is there to watch your back.
As a former Khalasi, I thank all of you for the important life lessons that you have bestowed upon me…
I thank you all for teaching me, in real terms, that in unity lies strength!! I thank you all for not only your humble services to our society, but also for being a beacon of hope, which if emulated, can transform all of Darjeeling and the rest of India, for the better.
Source: DC
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