I remember reading about P G Tenzing (Palden Gyatso Tenzing), when he resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and set out on an Enfield Thunderbird motorbike for his homeland, Sikkim. The news attracted attention because this was something that we do not associate with bureaucrats of the IAS. Some three years later, I read that Tenzing had passed away after battling cancer. I did not know at that time what he did in between. In the book, DON'T ASK ANY OLD BLOKE FOR DIRECTIONS - A BIKER'S WHIMSICAL JOURNEY ACROSS INDIA, he describes his journey around the country. The book is about his perception of the country and its people as he motors along. To his credit, he does not mention much about the system he has left, I am sure there must have been many juicy bits he could have narrated from his past as a bureaucrat. Nevertheless, the book brings out many aspects of this country and its way of life. His style of narration is not dragging considering the topic he is dealing with. He exhibits remarkable witticism and frankness, all of which makes the book an interesting read.
There have been many motorcycle books, not books about motorcycles, but books where motorcycles have been a constant part of the environment, almost a character. This book is not a philosophical discourse like "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" or a story of self discovery and transformation like "The motorcycle diaries". As Robert Pirzig says in his Zen - in a car you are in a compartment, a passive observer watching the surroundings as though through TV. But on a motorcycle, the frame is gone and you are part of the scene, not just watching it anymore. In the journey that he describes, Tenzing plays the role of an observer and reporter, becoming part of the scene, absorbing his surroundings but not generally reacting to it. He is not trying to change the world; been there, done that in the IAS.
Tenzing wanted to travel at random, his whimsical journey across India. When you do not have a destination, what you have is only the journey or the present. You have a lot of time for yourself and to think. You may have some targets, but they are not destinations. Tenzing wanted to watch his hair grow, watch sunrise and sunset from sea level and from the heights of the Himalayas and to get his face burnt and toes wet. Simple enough targets that you do not continuously worry about. He had had enough of targets, had spent a life "groping around areas I didn't know or care about". It is one thing to realize that you are no longer enjoying your field of work, but quite another to break free. He signed his voluntary retirement from IAS on 15 August, the independence day and started his journey. Motorcycles have been a symbol of freedom, and for Tenzing it became a tool for channeling his new found freedom. He went on to cover the length and breadth of India - "25320 kilometers in nine months with some stops in between or I would have died".
He says that he started the journey without much experience or preparation. He did not even know how to change a punctured tyre. He was used to traveling in chauffeur driven cars and staying in government guest houses. But once he starts, he is served well by his large network of friends providing him with food, drink and bed at the end of long legs of journey back and forth across the subcontinent. He also learns the way of the road soon - staying in hotels outside city limits, eating from dhabas, getting drunk while he can and when he is not riding, dealing with the policemen on the road and trusting the roadside mechanics to do odd jobs on his bike many of whom refused to take money from him out of love for the Enfield he was on and liking the idea of an all-india ride he was doing.
Tenzing is from Sikkim, a state merged into India. He has experienced the lack of understanding that the rest of India has for its people and the entire north-east. He wonders that with his background, many expect that he needs to be constantly reminded of his loyalty to India. This country is divided into majority and minority - politically, religiously, regionally and along many other fault lines. It is a wonder how we have managed to stay together for such a long time. Maybe some of that credit should go to the IAS. I cannot think of giving that credit to the politicians because they have learnt to excel in creating new fault lines and exploiting them to their advantage.
Given the flow of his narration, I thought that the end was a bit abrupt. People run out of steam and time. What is important is to enjoy while it lasts. The book was a good read while it lasted.
Book Name: DON'T ASK ANY OLD BLOKE FOR DIRECTIONS - A BIKER'S WHIMSICAL JOURNEY ACROSS INDIA
Publisher: PENGUIN BOOKS
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