Truck de India!: A Hitchhiker's Guide to Hindustan by Rajat UbhaykarMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hooter: A View into India That Is Bharat- in a Unique Travelogue Format
The author chronicles his hitchhiking journey across India aboard trucks - a bold and unusual expedition. First, one admires the audacity to plan such a trip, then the effort to document it, and finally, the ease and honesty with which it’s written, transporting the reader into the dust-laden heart of rural highways.
He vividly captures the sights, sounds, and stories of each truck driver, humanizing them and their struggles. This isn’t just a travelogue- it’s a portrait of a hidden India, untouched by urbanization and technology. It is also interesting how he talks to artists of truck art, the builders of trucks and even the middle men / agents at various Transport nagars to capture a holistic view of the ecosystem.
Truckers form a vital lifeline of the Indian economy- navigating the white, black, and grey shades of the system. They endure punishing hours, overloaded trailers, potholed roads, and ever-present bribes to keep moving. Survival, for many, depends on addiction- to music, alcohol, drugs, religion, or some mix of it all.
India is a country where every 50 km sees changes in food and culture and Rajat shows us this contrast through the eyes of truckers who cover almost 1500+ km at times on single trips.
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