Himachal: Gurkotha women write to dept in blood against transfer of post office

In a dramatic escalation of their ongoing protest, women of Gurkotha village under Balh assembly constituency of Mandi district wrote a letter in blood to postal authorities today, demanding that the proposed transfer of the local sub-post office be immediately halted.

The protest is being led by the village’s women’s group, which held a meeting on the occasion of International Women’s Day. During the meeting, members of the Mahila Mandal unanimously decided to send a strongly worded letter to the Superintendent of Post Offices in Mandi under India Post.

In the letter, the women alleged that the shifting of the Sub-Post office from the Gurkotha to Leda is unconstitutional and unjustified. They stated that none of the three local panchayats had given consent for shifting the post office, yet the decision was taken without consulting the villagers.

According to the Jamna Thakur, president of Mahila Mandal, the Gurkotha Sub-Post Office has been an essential public service facility for decades, serving villagers who depend on it for savings, postal services and financial transactions. Many women in the village, they said, have deposited their hard-earned savings in the post office after working as daily wage labourers. “We have tried to raise our concerns at every level, but no one is listening to us,” the women wrote in their letter. “Out of helplessness, we are sending this letter written in our own blood.”

The Mahila Mandal appealed to the Superintendent of Post Offices to immediately stop the transfer process and ensure that services at the Gurkotha Sub-Post Office continue without disruption. The letter warned that if the authorities fail to intervene, the women will be forced to stage a protest outside the postal department office in Mandi.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Balh, and the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, urging them to look into the issue and protect the interests of the local population.

Residents of Gurkotha say the post office has been a lifeline for the rural community, particularly for women and elderly villagers who rely on it to access their savings and government-linked financial services. The villagers are now waiting for a response from the authorities while their protest against the proposed transfer continues.