BRUTE HOOT!

To be or JCB, that is the question

- Kartik Ware

Work in Progress’ signs are everywhere. ‘Progress’, I might add, is a strictly relative term in our country. Like every well-meaning citizen, I spare no opportunity to make rude jokes about the varying states of ‘progress’ that periodically assault our cities. However, wherever you see the wildly optimistic sign mentioned above, chances are you will also see a big yellow machine with a big white ‘JCB’ painted on, working hard to make our engineers’ dreams come true.

I admit I’ve wanted to get behind the wheels and joysticks of these yellow-hued monsters every time I seen them, like any other normal machine-loving person. The fact that ‘JCB’ has become synonymous with construction machinery much in the way of ‘Colgate’ and ‘Xerox’ have, only heightened that desire. Lack of opportunity, however, meant that my JCB plans were always on backburner — until now. And when I finally scrambled into the seat of one, I was at a loss for words. No, really. What does one say about machines that can take on Mother Nature in all her glory and emerge as winners? Nonetheless, here I go.