Dear Comrades,
LUDHIANA: The ancient system of postal telegram services would find a place in the history on July 15. Recalling an episode in the famous Malgudi Days by RK Narayana, 'The Missing Mail', that used to get featured on television two decades back, 21-year-old Kunal Verma from BRS Nagar says, all he remembers about a telegram is that it is used to deliver bad news.
"The first time I came to know about telegram was after watching the episode 'The Missing Mail' where Thanappa, the postmaster of the village decides not to deliver a telegram, about a close relative's death, fearing that it would ruin Kamakshi's wedding."
The foundation of the telegram service makes an entire page in the history books at the school level. However, the coming generation is likely to have an added paragraph full of information on how and when the service came to a halt. Owing to financial constraints and popularity of mobile phones and internet, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd has finally decided to make telegram service a part of history books on July 15. While Kunal relates to telegram with what he had seen on television, Suraj Sharma from Sarabha Nagar says 'telegram writing' was the only question in his English paper that fetched him full marks. "When I was in class V, this was a question that we would get for our language exam. This was the only question where I would score a 10 on 10," he smiles.
However, for those who used to live in the era of telegrams, it meant a different thing. "Telegram was one thing that was anticipated of bringing bad news. I remember how a knock on the door followed with a familiar voice calling out 'taar', would leave my mom pale for a few minutes. She would fear hearing news of someone's demise. Telegrams usually brought bad news," says Devinder Pal Singh from Gurdev Nagar.
Gurbhajan Gill from SBS Nagar says, "The last telegram I received was in 1993 when my wife passed away. Someone paid his condolences in it. Along with her, ended my share of telegrams."
For some telegrams used to be associated with nostalgia. Radhika Jaitwani, a resident of South City, recalls those telegrams from her parents while she was in school. She says, "When I was in a hostel in Dalhousie, I would often get a telegram from my parents. It used to make me ecstatic as they meant my parents were coming."
H S Parwana, a retired postal officer, shares his experience about a funny telegram, "A lady once came to send a telegram. Her husband was in army and posted somewhere far. Laughing, he says that the telegram she sent read, a??Come immediately or else will elope with neighbor next door."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
