Jonga Ride

 The Unforgettable Jonga Ride

Having a Jonga ride is now a dream of yesteryears. It was a spacious petrol vehicle used by the Indian Army, with a good suspension system akin to a jeep in appearance, though bigger in size until the late nineties. The army kids back then must be well aware of it even today. These are now extinct and replaced with Maruti Gypsies and other modern vehicles.

It was September 1996 when I was traveling  from Udhampur to Srinagar for some official work on one of  this old Jonga with my driver. We ascended the steep slope from Kud to Patnitop  in this powerful vehicle overtaking others with ease enjoying the scenic beauty of hills around taking twists and turns. After sometime we took a short halt for a tea break at Patnitop, refreshed ourselves and  resumed our journey on a gentle descent. Now I took on the steering wheel, with driver sitting adjacent to me. While we discussed its advantages over a jeep for its sail-like ride and power of acceleration  I saw a stepney wheel rolling in front of our Jonga. Guessing about the fate of the vehicle from which the wheel had separated, in my mind, I heard my driver calmly say,

'Sir, gaadi slow karke side mein laga lo.'(Please take the vehicle aside after slowing it down)

I wondered why he told me this as we had  resumed our journey just after relieving ourselves a few moments ago while at Patnitop. 

However I applied the brakes and took the vehicle aside on the shoulder berm of the road. As we stopped, the jonga tilted and came to rest like a glider does on one of its wings after coming to a halt.

"Hey, what happened? Why has it tilted?" I asked him with curiosity.

"Sir, apna pahiya out ho gaya hai, main leke aata hoon," he replied.

"Then how were we still driving?" I asked him, surprised and tensed.

After his narration I came to know that the wheel which rolled in front of us was of our own Jonga's front right hand side wheel discovering this unique quality of this vehicle that  it can also move on its three wheels like a tractor.

The next reasoning given by him further perplexed me when he said,

"Sir, ye to is gadi ke saath hota rehta hai. Abhi pahunch kar workshop mein wheel bearing tight karva lenge."(This keeps happening with this vehicle. We will get it repaired after reaching the workshop)

After giving him a mouthful for his laxity in its maintenance, I observed him fix the wheel back at its place quietly by carrying out temporary repairs with the tools he had enabling us to at least reach the workshop. Now I sat on the co-driver's seat resuming our journey once again with my fingers crossed praying for our safe arrival at the destination while watching him drive confidently as if nothing had happened  being a routine affair for him.