The ending of the telegraph service in India by July 2013 marked the end of an era. Sad though it was, one feels that we had it all coming as better technology and more efficient services had to replace older and less efficient ones. The format given below is of the telegram as I used to teach it to students of class tenth a few years ago! Now, telegrams are no longer taught to students. What I have written below is a tribute to the telegram that was once an important part of the lives of many people. The coming of the E-Mail and the SMS have spelled the death knell of the telegram, but then, it is no just the telegram that has had to go. Soon, postage stamps, postcards, and the aerogramme will bow away gracefully!
| India Post AND Telegraph |
| Name and Address of Receiver: (To be telegraphed) | Name: Ms. Savita Lloyd Address: G-12/1, Transport Nagar, Travancore Telephone No: 2134587 |
| Message (to be sent) |
| MISTER | TELEGRAM | BREATHED | LAST | JULY | FIFTEEN | STOP | LEAVES | BEHIND |
| STAMP | POSTCARD | AEROGRAMME | STOP | FUNERAL | ON | SIXTEENTH | STOP | MARKS |
| THE | END | OF | HUNDRED | SIXTY | THREE | YEARS | IN | INDIA |
| STOP | STAMP | AEROGRAMME | POSTCARD | WITH | TELEGRAM | LAST | MOMENTS | STOP |
| MAY | FOLLOW | TELEGRAM | SOON | STOP |
| Sender’s Name and address: Mr. Brain Khanna, B-26. Greater Internet Nagar, New Delhi (Not to be Telegraphed) |
The language of the telegram would baffle the young people of today, especially those who have never seen one. But then, SMS lingo too is baffling, what with LOL and GR8 ruling the roost!
ReplyDelete