Old-timers will recall the eminence the Post and Telegraphs Department once occupied in the communication network. Heavy postal bags being handled by the Railway Mail Service on platforms were a common sight. It was a time when people took pride in writing. Though mobile post offices may have been revived, the fact is that very few people buy letter forms and post cards. The might of the postal department has eroded after the advent of private couriers.
Letter writing aided our thinking skills and sharpened our communication. It is sad that the digital world is slowly obfuscating the importance of letter writing. The joy of waiting for and receiving post cards and inland letters and reading their contents have become a thing of the past (“Post cards still around, but nothing to write home about”, July 8).
R. Sridharan,
Chennai
That the post card is fast disappearing is a big loss from an aesthetic and emotional point of view. Nothing can equal a handwritten letter. Recently, while looking for old records I came across a post card written by my father decades ago that reflected his affection and concern. Though I am old, it instantly brought tears to my eyes. The current generation does not know what it is missing. In their twilight years, they will only have an empty screen on their smartphones and have to rely solely on their fading memory to recollect the past.
S. Rajagopalan,
Chennai
Living in a digital era, we seem to think that smartphones and the Internet have replaced popular and long-standing means of communication. But we seem to be wrong, as the humble yellow post card and the blue inland letter paper still hold their own. There is still a demand for post cards and inland letters in rural India.
Both are brilliant tools of communication and help one recall the whole system of communication built around them — iconic red postboxes that were once close to our hearts and stood majestically at the entrance to many a street. A hand-written post card or inland letter not only helps one develop a special bonding with others, but such a form can be preserved for years for nostalgia.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai