Telegram flies into sunset: 'Taar brings bad news, as usual

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) employees have objected to the company’s decision to discontinue the 160-year-old telegram services by July 15. They said that even in this modern era of communication, telegraph (taar) is the only medium, which is considered as a legal document in a court of law.

It may be recalled that a telegram was crucial evidence in the 2007 sensational Lakhan Bhaiya encounter case. Lakhan’s brother Ram Gupta had sent telegrams to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane police commissioners saying his brother has been picked up by a police team and he fears for Lakhan’s life. Lakhan was shot dead by the police in an alleged fake encounter at Versova. Twenty-two people, including 14 policemen, were accused of killing him.

BSNL, in the next three months, will adjust its surplus telegram staff members in its mobile services, landline telephone and broadband services verticals. The company had recently revised its charges in May 2011 after a gap of 60 years due to declining revenues.

Telegram charges for inland services were increased to Rs27.50 from Rs3.50.

The general secretary of the BSNL employees’ union P Abhimanyu sent a letter to the company’s chief managing director RK Upadhyay regarding the decision to terminate telegram services. He said the management was inconsiderate in taking such a drastic decision without consulting the recognised unions. The employees were not informed of the reasons given by the management.

The union members, on the other hand, gave their own reasons why the service should still be continued. They said that modern-day mediums, such as e-mail, fax and SMS, are not accepted as valid proof in court.

“Medical representatives will be drastically affected as their daily working is based on message through telegram,” said the letter, adding that many other sectors, such as the FCI, banks and state governments, too are dependent on the telegram service.

The telegram is also used by the army, navy and airforce for tenders, leave or defence-related work.

The History
160 -year-old telegram service will be discontinued from July 15.

The first experimental electric telegraph line was started between Kolkata and Diamond Harbour in 1850 and next year it was opened for the use of the British East India Company. In 1854 the services were opened for public.

In May 2011, the government had revised the telegram charges after a gap of 60 year.

Nostalgia
In the 40 years that I served in the army, receiving a telegram always had a tinge of sadness. It was the quickest method to inform a family of a loved one’s death. ‘Happy’ messages sent through telegrams were printed on colourful paper. In the army, telegrams were used to deliver unclassified messages in cities and villages till as late as 1990s. In 1987, one of our decorated officers was killed during the time when Indian Peacekeeping Force was fighting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. The only way to take this news across borders was to send a telegram. One of our officers in New Delhi then conveyed the sad news to his family by hand-delivering the message. The army still uses telegram to send unclassified information to families of soldiers in remote villages. Phasing out the telegram services will affect soldiers’ families who live in remote villages and don’t have access to mobile phones.
Col (retd) Anshu Trivedi, Indian Army, 59

I  have fond memories of receiving telegrams from my father who was away for many years in Kashmir for business. At times, when on birthdays he forgot to post a letter or a card, a quick telegram with a short message would find its way to our home in Ghatkopar. To make trunk calls in the eighties was very arduous. It would be impossible for my father to wait in long queues during winter. A telegram usually came to the rescue to communicate the good wishes.
Nanda Bhatia, housemaker, 45

I  am from Visavadar village in Gujarat. While I struggled to earn a livelihood in Mumbai, my family stayed back in my village for some years. In 1950s, we used to communicate only through letters. It took 15 days for letters to reach each other. In case of emergency, my family would send me a telegram. It used to be sent to the office of my boss who would convey the message to me. I got the news of my son’s birth through a telegram.
Harakhlal Vankani, 94