LUCKNOW: There was a time when 61-year-old SDS Asthana would battle freezing cold or the blazing sun on his bicycle to deliver the cream-colored postcards and folded blue inland letters filled with happy and sad news.
Gone are the days when Asthana, dressed in khaki uniform, enthused children with his bag full of letters. "There were people who stood outside their houses, waiting anxiously for me. They would either wail or became happy after reading the letters. Many even shared their messages with me," reminisced Asthana who hymned the popular "daakiya daak laaya" tune while talking to TOI. Blaming the advent of courier service and the instant modes of communication like SMS, e-mails and social networking sites, Asthana says the letters have been pushed aside.
But times have changed and so has the attitude of people. Delivering letters for past 31 years, Hari Shankar Trivedi, says, "Now, when I ring the bell, most people don't open the door. Others ask me to deliver the mail in the evening and not disturb their afternoon nap.'' Trivedi laments, "Earlier, when I delivered mails, people offered tea and snacks. Some even gave extra tip on festivals like Holi and Diwali. This tradition has faded now.'' In fact, many people misunderstand the postman as security guard or the courier delivery man. "Children always take us as courier man. They have no idea who a postman is,'' says Ram Prakash, another postman.Over the years, there has been steep fall in the number of postcards and Inland Letter cards (ILCs) being written. According to the figures given by the Lucknow postal department, the city, 20 years back had an inflow and outflow of about 1.5 lakh postcards and ILCs per day. The figure today stands at less than 40,000 (approx) per day. Of this, only 10% are personal letters while others are used for professional purposes.Postal department officials shared that professional letters are usually bank drafts, legal documents, application forms for jobs and colleges, and recruitment letters. Others are addressed to politicians, government and private officials for ventilating grievances and conveying good wishes.Apart from urban areas, the craze for postcards is waning among rural folks too. "Cellphones are no more a luxury, instead they have become a necessity. Now, people wait for call from their loved ones instead of letters," said a postal department official.
The falling numbers worry the top officials too. Lucknow chief post master Rahul told TOI, "A few decades back, postal department was the sole authority to transmit letters. It was the only link to connect the people in terms of communication. Gradually, e-mails, SMSs came into vogue, sidelining us almost entirely.''
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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