Postal tricks save the day

BB Pardhan

THERE was a time when post offices and postmen were intimately intertwined with peoples’ lives. As a young lad, I was fond of writing letters to my friends and relatives. Since I was also at that time looking to settle down in life, I used to send application forms for competitive examinations by post, the only means then available. Regular correspondence necessitated repeated visits to the nearby post office. Over a period, I became friendly with the postal staff there and, at times, I would help them in sorting the dak.

On one occasion, I needed to send a letter urgently. I had to ensure that it not only reached the recipient, but also that I received an acknowledgement. I went to the decrepit room that passed off as a post office in my village. I sat on an iron bench outside. Not having enough money to dispatch it, the envelope dangled helplessly from my fingers. I considered my options. Sending it by ordinary post would leave me with no evidence of having dispatched it. The other alternative was to send it by registered post. It was beyond my means at that moment. Adding an ‘acknowledgement due’ tag to it was out of the question as it would cost even more. 

I had heard of the UPC (Under Certificate of Posting) facility. An article posted under UPC entitled you to get a stamped document from the post master, certifying that an article was posted to a certain addressee. However, it did not guarantee delivery. The sender also did not receive any acknowledgement.   

Just then, somebody tapped my shoulder, breaking my reverie. I saw an elderly man leaning towards me expectantly. I explained my problem to him. He came up with an ingenious solution. ‘If you post the envelope with a stamp of 20 paise, instead of the prescribed 25 paise, the postal department would recover the balance of 5 paise, plus a penalty of equal amount from the addressee. Under-stamped postal articles are treated like registered articles and delivered personally to the addressee since the postman has to collect the balance of postage.’

My face lit up instantly. But I quickly realised that it would not ensure an acknowledgement from the addressee. I asked him if he had a solution for it. ‘On receiving your letter and paying for it, the addressee will be upset. You are sure to get an expostulation from him, which will serve as an acknowledgement!’ he said. 

The problem had been solved. I thanked him generously and rushed to get a 20-paise stamp. I then affixed it to the envelope and dropped it in the letterbox. Sure enough, on the fourth day, I received the eagerly awaited remonstrance from the addressee in the form of a postcard, pulling me up for sending an under-stamped letter!

No wonder back then, everyone loved the postal department. Who in this age of courier services would deliver an article for which the freight has not been fully paid!