Are Indian Cars Made For Indian Roads?

THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA...(INDIAN SPEEDBREAKERS)

THE NEXT THREE PHOTOS SHOW THAT HOW THE ROAD MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE TOOK ITS TOLL ON THE CAR...CHANGING ITS COLOUR FROM SILVER TO BROWN.

THE COCKPIT VIEW IN THE MORNING, AFTER THE JOURNEY THROUGH HELL.

THIS JAM WAS ON AN EXPRESSWAY, IT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 3 KMS LONG.

SOMETIMES STUFF LIKE THIS EXTRA WIDE TRAILER CAN BE FOUND ON ROADS.

END OF ROADS IN INDIA!!!






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I would like to write my first article for this blog on this topic, something which I thought about on my recent trip to Orissa. The road was excellent throughout the until we started to take the road not taken through the maoist infested area (through Chhatisgarh). The road was smooth until we reached a small town named Geedam. After crossing that village, the heavy volume of traffic and the butter smooth road just disappeared. There was only a path on which were stones and sand. To make matters worst, it rained and the so called 'ROAD' had turned into a river bed (in hindi कीचड़). For a Esteem (India's first sedan) it would be a Herculeans task to cross it.

After struggling for sometime (10 kms), we stopped a truck which was coming from the opposite direction (the first one after a long time). Asking him the condition of the road, he replied that the road front is very bad and he had also struggled to negotiate that part of the road. Advising us he told to take the car off road to avoid that strech and get it back on the road later on. After struggling a lot we reach a junction where there were many people. This was a wonderful sight for us. Asking them the way they tell us to continue on the bad road instead of turning on to the mettaled one. They also tell that the condition of the road gets worse and to stop at the next town (Bijapur) as it was quite late to travel in that area.

As we progressed we came across many police station which were fortified and officers in bunkers flashed a powerful beam of light as we passed through them. My mother was so scared thinking about naxalites that she removed all the gold she was wearing and hid them in her socks which she put under the car's seat. After several scrapes in the bottom of the car, we reach the town Bijapur. After reaching there we learn that there are no lodges and there is one forest rest house with two rooms. Also we learn that the road ahead is closed and there is absolutely no chance that our car could go ahead as the roads were flooded with water.

A kind dhaba owner talks with two reporters from NAVBHARAT and arranges place for the night halt. In the morning, he tells us that we were very brave to travel alone in the night as no one dares to come out of their town after 8 pm due to the fear of naxalites. He also tells that we have to go all the way back and reach Hyderabad by that day as the next day was the all India naxalites bandh. Returning through that road, we see the graves of naxalites who gave their lives fighting against the police. Recalling this incident gave me chills running down my spine.


Now coming back to the article after that small diversion. The above incident really should make on think whether Indian cars are made for Indian roads. Nowdays we have so many cars to choose from - Audi to Tata, Bentley to Reva. So if I ask this question to any city lad the answer would be obviously yes. But not all people confine their cars to the city. Going from City to city is comfortable as there are many expressways with McDonalds at every 1 km. But travelling by state highways you don't even get petrol pumps to refuel. The Indian roads are not at all ready for the latest fleet of supermachine that are being launched.