Virtually rendered redundant in a world powered by technology, it is curtains for the ubiquitous ‘taar'. It will now just be an enduring memory In the age of Internet and smartphone when @ and Hinglish SMSes are the order of the day, the telegram has suffered a silent death.

The new generation knows little about the telegram. Many have not even heard about it.

“What's that”, asked my 11-year-old son Joy, looking straight into my eyes. I avoided the direct contact because I myself had not seen a telegram for the last two decades or so, nor did I remember the location of the telegraph office in our locality. Amid this prevailing ignorance, the news about the Government's decision to axe this service transported me to my school/college days when the telegram was the quickest means of communication. The telegram man's call, “Telegram, telegram”, invariably made family members very anxious. Elders, their hearts pounding would rush to get the ‘taar' — as telegram is called in Hindi. The women would study the face of the elders trying to fathom whether the folded paper was a harbinger of good news or something ominous.

Again, while seeing off relatives or friends at the railway station, the parting words would always be “inform of your arrival through telegram.” Two days later the gram would come bearing the two-word message: “Reached safely”.

Telegraphy has a long and interesting history. The messaging started with the use of black and white smoke signals. The black signified a negative message and white, glad tidings. The papal conclave that is convened to elect the new Bishop of Rome — the Pope — still uses the smoke signal. The fumata nera (black smoke) is an announcement that the election was not decisive while fumata bianca (white smoke) announces that a Pope has been elected.

The messaging then graduated to flag language that is used to send messages between ships or buildings. The world order changed when Samuel Morse invented the code that helped in transmitting text information as series of ‘on-off' tones or clicks that could be understood by a skilled listener.

Morse sent the first text message or telegram on May 22, 1844, from Washington to his assistant Alfred Vail in Baltimore that read: “What hath God wroughtIJ”

The service came to India in 1850. The British expanded it because they understood the need of fast communication after First War of Independence in 1857. Since then telegram was used to send joyous and sad news, and sometimes even ‘false' news of demise of grandparents to avail leave from office!

One winter I had to go to Kolkata. I knew the boss, a strict disciplinarian would not grant leave. So, trusting Mr Morse's code I booked my ticket and asked my cousin to send a telegram. He dutifully sent one, informing about my grandfather's death who had actually died almost 15 years back! One of the Sub-Editors at office received the telegram. When I reached office the Sub in a sombre voice enquired about my grandfather. The question was like music to my ears because I knew what was coming. Maintaining a serious mien I said: “He is sick. Very sick.”

The colleague paused for a long time and said: “Actually, he is no more. There is a telegram…” He handed me the telegram, came up and sat close to me and talked about old age and the inevitability of death, but my mind had already wafted to the Howrah Bridge and the river Hoogly.

One of my friends used the ubiquitous taar to inform officials — from the local thanedar to a High Court Judge — about the threat to the life of his brother-in law who had married a girl of his choice without the consent of the girl's parents. He did this because the telegram was used as evidence in courts. Many companies, particularly pharmaceutical firms, still rely on this mode of communication.

It will be interesting to see how things will shape up now. I still remember standing in a queue to send a telegram outside the Varanasi railway station, when I accidentally peeped into the message of the person standing before me. It read: “Wife loaded, receive delivery!”