When Samuel Morse invented telegram it began the communication revolution in the 19th century with messages flying through wires. Now, in the era of 3G mobiles, even though they are sent through Internet telegrams travel at a snail's pace. Among the fastest mode of communications till well into the 1990s, telegrams were shot off to even stall executions in jails. At homes, the telegram deliveryman evoked anxiety as it had the repute of being a harbinger of sad news.
Now at Rs 28 per message, when it costs more than the per-minute-rate of many international calls, the wire is a preferred means for communication only for a few. More than a quick service, it is now a means of ensuring that no matter the message reaches in time or not, the sender has a proof of sending it.
The Central Telegraph office (CTO) at Civil Lines today has only a single window from where the service is available. No longer are people queuing up to use this mode of communication. As against more than 2000 telegrams till two decades ago, today barely 40-45 are transmitted.
Unfortunately, the old machines which ran on Morse keys are not available either at the CTO or any of the post offices. The original structure which housed the telegram section in 1929 has been dismantled following which the machines disappeared.
The odd person who turns up at the counter is usually a lawyer's representative or a government servant. "Telegrams are often used by respondents in court matters. Messages to seek exemption from hearing or adjournment are sent by telegrams. This serves the purpose as the person has a record of the telegram sent even though when it reaches the addressee cannot be determined," said a lawyer.
"Government servants use the telegram to seek extension of leave," said a source at the CTO. "Some banks and financial agencies too use the telegram when it comes to producing official records."
The army even today continues to be one of the major clients of the BSNL's telegraph service. "After Nagpur the only other telegraph office is at the Kamptee cantonment," the source said.
During TOI's visit to the CTO, this reporter met a Rajesh Hore who wanted to send a telegram to his grandmother in Aurangabad. "She doesn't use telephones or mobiles, so this is the only option," he said.
The telegram no longer travels on electric wires through Morse keys. It has become an e-mail with the printout being delivered at the address. Unfortunately, the new technology has not made it faster. Today, a telegram or e-mail goes to a central server of the BSNL from where it is disbursed to the various centres. Each major city and a district place have a code to where it is redirected from the hub. With delivery men heading towards extinction, the telegrams are sent through regular post too.
Tehsils and other remote places do not have a code nor telegram offices. In such cases, the printout of the telegram is sent by post and then its delivery is at the hands of the postman.
The CTO at Nagpur has only one telegram delivery man as against a dedicated cadre that they used to have once upon a time. Earlier, post offices in villages too had facilities to receive telegrams. But, with the post and telegraph departments now separated, post offices have discarded the telegram equipment. So the printouts are sent through post. At times even the telegrams within the city go this way. Ironically, the new mode is called web-based messaging system (WBMS).
"Till almost mid-1990s the CTO continued to depend on the original Morse keys even though there were tele-printers which ran simultaneously. "Teleprinters were used when the lines were busy, on a slack day they would revert to the Morse keys," the CTO source said.
Lt Colonel (retd) Sunil Deshpande recalls the time when he was posted on the eastern border when he got to know about the Bhopal gas tragedy on Bangladeshi television. A worried Deshpande tried to call up his sister who lived in the same locality where the gas leak had the highest impact. Even the army lines were down, but it was a telegram saying she was safe which gave him relief even though it was delivered 10 days after it was sent.
Deshpande has still preserved the telegram he received from the defence secretary when he go the Vishisht Seva Medal. He also recollects the terse words 'rejoin duty forthwith' on the telegram when the Indo-Pak war of 1965 broke out. For grain trader Pratap Motwani, the telegram was the means to confirm the recipe of delivery of consignments or even pointing out the defect in the goods received.
"I have never seen or heard of a telegram," said 18-year old Aman Baraiya, a hotel management student. "It is some kind of a postal service, and I guess can be sent like a fax," was how engineering aspirant Mrunmayee Kotpalliwar reacted.
Now at Rs 28 per message, when it costs more than the per-minute-rate of many international calls, the wire is a preferred means for communication only for a few. More than a quick service, it is now a means of ensuring that no matter the message reaches in time or not, the sender has a proof of sending it.
The Central Telegraph office (CTO) at Civil Lines today has only a single window from where the service is available. No longer are people queuing up to use this mode of communication. As against more than 2000 telegrams till two decades ago, today barely 40-45 are transmitted.
Unfortunately, the old machines which ran on Morse keys are not available either at the CTO or any of the post offices. The original structure which housed the telegram section in 1929 has been dismantled following which the machines disappeared.
The odd person who turns up at the counter is usually a lawyer's representative or a government servant. "Telegrams are often used by respondents in court matters. Messages to seek exemption from hearing or adjournment are sent by telegrams. This serves the purpose as the person has a record of the telegram sent even though when it reaches the addressee cannot be determined," said a lawyer.
"Government servants use the telegram to seek extension of leave," said a source at the CTO. "Some banks and financial agencies too use the telegram when it comes to producing official records."
The army even today continues to be one of the major clients of the BSNL's telegraph service. "After Nagpur the only other telegraph office is at the Kamptee cantonment," the source said.
During TOI's visit to the CTO, this reporter met a Rajesh Hore who wanted to send a telegram to his grandmother in Aurangabad. "She doesn't use telephones or mobiles, so this is the only option," he said.
The telegram no longer travels on electric wires through Morse keys. It has become an e-mail with the printout being delivered at the address. Unfortunately, the new technology has not made it faster. Today, a telegram or e-mail goes to a central server of the BSNL from where it is disbursed to the various centres. Each major city and a district place have a code to where it is redirected from the hub. With delivery men heading towards extinction, the telegrams are sent through regular post too.
Tehsils and other remote places do not have a code nor telegram offices. In such cases, the printout of the telegram is sent by post and then its delivery is at the hands of the postman.
The CTO at Nagpur has only one telegram delivery man as against a dedicated cadre that they used to have once upon a time. Earlier, post offices in villages too had facilities to receive telegrams. But, with the post and telegraph departments now separated, post offices have discarded the telegram equipment. So the printouts are sent through post. At times even the telegrams within the city go this way. Ironically, the new mode is called web-based messaging system (WBMS).
"Till almost mid-1990s the CTO continued to depend on the original Morse keys even though there were tele-printers which ran simultaneously. "Teleprinters were used when the lines were busy, on a slack day they would revert to the Morse keys," the CTO source said.
Lt Colonel (retd) Sunil Deshpande recalls the time when he was posted on the eastern border when he got to know about the Bhopal gas tragedy on Bangladeshi television. A worried Deshpande tried to call up his sister who lived in the same locality where the gas leak had the highest impact. Even the army lines were down, but it was a telegram saying she was safe which gave him relief even though it was delivered 10 days after it was sent.
Deshpande has still preserved the telegram he received from the defence secretary when he go the Vishisht Seva Medal. He also recollects the terse words 'rejoin duty forthwith' on the telegram when the Indo-Pak war of 1965 broke out. For grain trader Pratap Motwani, the telegram was the means to confirm the recipe of delivery of consignments or even pointing out the defect in the goods received.
"I have never seen or heard of a telegram," said 18-year old Aman Baraiya, a hotel management student. "It is some kind of a postal service, and I guess can be sent like a fax," was how engineering aspirant Mrunmayee Kotpalliwar reacted.
Source:-The Times of India
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