Curtains came down on Sunday on the 163-year-old telegram service even as hundreds thronged the Central Telegraph Offices in different cities to send last-minute messages to family and friends and be a part of history all over the country .
Political leaders and near and dear relatives were given the last telegram .Amit Garg, a resident of Mumbai, wrote his last telegram to President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday, requesting “His Excellency” for a meeting with his wife and two children, but only on Saturday or Sunday, as he is particular that his children should not miss school. Another threatened the President with a fast unto death if the service was not recalled, yet another requested Rahul Gandhi the saviour of the country to save the country as well as the service. Families gathered outside the CTOs to have their photographs clicked as a memory of 163 years old telegraph service end .
Till Saturday, 3,402 telegrams were booked with 1,326 bookings done on Friday. Till afternoon we have had around 400 bookings.” The nostalgic sound of the machine gave way to a pall of gloom that descended on the CTOs all over the country , where the staff “expressed displeasure at its discontinuance”.
Many believe that its necessary to continue the service specially in far flung areas where net work of telephone service is poor.