Trailing the journey of the Indian postal system from
1668 till 2007, Arvind Kumar Singh’s book“Bharatiya Dak: Sadiyon Ka
Safarnama” has been chosen by the Department of Education, Ministry of
Human Resource Development for the Shiksha Puraskar or the Education
Award for the year 2009. The award was launched by the Government of
India in 1992 for encouraging original writings in Hindi in the field of
education.
Published by National Book Trust, the book has already been
translated into three languages -- English, Hindi and Assamese -- and is
going to be translated in seven to 12 more languages.
“This book has been a best-seller on the subject and that the new editions will have a new look,” said an NBT representative.
One of its chapters titled “ Chittiyon KI Anokhi Duniya – the unique
world of letters” has also been included in the NCERT book of Class VIII
which runs into seven pages.
Titled the “Moving encyclopaedia of Indian Post”
in English, the book has 43 chapters and explains in detail the postal
systems during the times of kings and nobility, modern and rural postal
systems, postmen’s lives and the hardships they face, postcard,
letterbox, earlier postal services through pigeons to dak-bunglows to
horses and elephants and from male runners to rail, air etc.
It notes that that stalwarts in their own fields like Noble Laureate
C.V. Raman, authors Munshi Prem Chand, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Nirad C.
Chaudhary and Mahashewta Devi, actor Dev Anand and celebrated Dogri
writers Shivnath and Krishna Bihari ‘Noor’ were once postal department
employees.
Arvind Singh’s book has been written for the layman and is about the
post Independence status of the postal services. It covers the
challenges met by the carriers of postal services and its heroic
survival despite the onslaught of technology via mobile, internet and
private couriers.
Recalling a story about another person who wanted to write on the
subject, the 52-year-old author, who hails from UP, said: “A postman in
Allahabad wanted to write a book on the subject but due to financial
constraints and ill health he died. He would get me my money order which
I used to wait desperately for in my college days in Allahabad. Once
when I didn’t get any money order, I went to see him. He was ill. I came
to know that day that he used to give me money from his own pocket if
my money order didn’t reach on time. It humbled me immensely and raised
my curiosity to know more about the lives of postmen. But due to the
lack of any research material, I had to run across the whole of India
and meet almost every postman, virtually every post office to know the
reality behind this unique service.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hmmmmm... what are you thinking? Do not forget to comment,It helps us to improve this blog and help us to make better. on