The Perils Of Postage: A Look At Kashmir’s Inept Postal System

By Peer Mohammad Amir Qureshi

As I embarked upon my journey from the serene landscape of Dehradun to the breathtaking beauty of Kashmir. I was reunited with my dear family. The night was lively, and everyone was exuberant with joy. It was then that my mother, with a tone of gratitude, shared how fortunate we are to have the convenience of mobile phones, a luxury that was not always available in the past. In contrast, she recounted the days of yore when my father would send letters from the far-off city of Calcutta.

 My late grandfather ( May Almighty Allah Elevate his ranks in Jannah) would read those letters aloud, and the family would bask in the warmth of his love evoking a sense of warmth and nostalgia. The postal service in India has a long history and plays an important role in connecting people across the country. With the advent of digital communication, the demand for traditional postal services has decreased in recent years but not to that extent. As I contemplated the bygone era’s postal services, I couldn’t help but marvel at their impeccable efficiency despite being confined to bicycles as their primary mode of transportation.

One cannot help but wonder how packages and vital missives, teeming with emotions, were delivered to our doorsteps with unprecedented timeliness – all without the aid of intermediaries or technological innovations. Were the letters that we cherished so much really dispatched via post offices? The art of postal services has been a quintessential element of our lives, an enduring legacy that has withstood the test of time. Reflecting on the past, I couldn’t help but ponder over the erratic nature of postal services back in the day.

Despite having good transport facilities and with the advent of technology I wondered how packages and important documents often got delayed or failed to reach our doorsteps. In today’s world, where the pace of life is frenetic, and time is of the essence, the importance of postal services has only grown manifold, with the advent of lightning-fast speed post services. 

Addressing the Fault Lines

Alas, the perennial question arises – do our treasured belongings truly reach us on time? Regrettably, it appears not. The question now lingers, where is the system faltering? Why do we continue to encounter such issues? Are the postmen going the extra mile to ensure our parcels are delivered with utmost care and diligence?

It seemed almost like a work of fiction, with parcels and letters stuck for months, wandering aimlessly without any direction, ultimately leading to nowhere. The inefficacy of Kashmir’s postal service leaves us questioning the timely delivery of our coveted possessions and essential documents. Despite the advancements in transportation and technology, why do we still hesitate to entrust our parcels to the postal service, opting instead for alternative means of delivery

Although other means of delivery may seem more reliable, there is an underlying unease when it comes to entrusting our possessions to the speed postal service. Something seems amiss, prompting a plethora of questions to arise. What is the reason for this doubt, and why does it persist despite the technological advancements of our time?

My reliance on online bookstores for my literary needs had me experimenting with different delivery services. While private delivery proved to be prompt and dependable, the speed post service failed to live up to its promise of tracking my articles. The frustration peaked when my parcels languished for days at the nearby post office, necessitating a personal visit to retrieve them. The efficacy of the speed post service was cast into doubt, raising questions about its capacity to deliver parcels in a timely and efficient manner.

What Can be done to Protect our Precious Parcels?

Are your precious belongings safe with the Indian postal service? Think again. Unlike private delivery services, the Indian postal service doesn’t offer compensation for lost or damaged packages. Your only recourse? Filing an F.I.R, which is hardly worth the trouble. It’s time to question the quality of service provided by the Indian postal service. How can you trust them with your valuable packages?

Urgent changes to their policies and laws are necessary to ensure better protection for their customers’ belongings. Don’t settle for subpar service, demand better! As a matter of fact, I, too, have had an unsettling encounter with a postman, further fueling my skepticism towards the postal service and left an indelible mark on my perspective. The postman, who earns a meager salary, enlightened me about the challenges of serving a vast area encompassing numerous villages and towns. The enormity of the task becomes apparent when considering the geographical expanse, making it an arduous task for them to dispatch articles in a timely manner. The onus of responsibility falls on the people too, who sometimes neglect to attend to phone calls or furnish accurate delivery details.The practice of the postman what grates on me the most is the practice of dispatching articles to shops, with the intended recipient sometimes notified or may not be aware to collect their belongings from that location. This mode of delivery can take several days and poses a risk of the recipient being unaware of the package’s arrival.

The person designated to inform the recipient often falters in their duty, causing perplexity and delay. The delivery of possessions to one’s doorstep is a fundamental expectation from postmen. However, in Kashmir, this is not always the case. To revitalize the postal service in India, the government has been implementing various initiatives, such as modernizing infrastructure, introducing new services, and improving operational efficiency. The Shikara postal service in Kashmir is a unique initiative that aims to provide postal services to people living in remote and inaccessible areas using traditional Kashmiri boats.While such initiatives are commendable, it is important to ensure that they are sustainable and efficient in the long run. India Post, despite being a public postal and delivery service, could benefit from emulating the practices of private courier companies by keeping their customers informed through timely delivery notifications and regular updates on their belongings’ whereabouts. Ensuring that consignment numbers are readily accessible on their website without any impediments, coupled with prompt responses to inquiries and reports of misplaced possessions, is essential for establishing trust in their services

However, until the laws governing their operations are revised, it seems unlikely that India Post can offer any guarantees for the safekeeping of our belongings. Furthermore, with the need for swift delivery services extending to mobile phones in today’s fast-paced world, India Post’s speed post services should consider offering this service as well. The government can explore public-private partnerships to improve the quality of postal services. By partnering with private companies, the government can leverage their expertise and resources to improve the overall quality and efficiency of postal services.

Finally, it is important to address any bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the postal service operations, whether it be through better training and incentives for postal workers, or by improving the coordination between different departments and stakeholders involved in the postal service.

Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer 

• The Author is a Ganderbal based columnist and holds an Msc degree in zoology . He tweets @peermohdamir and can be reached at [email protected]

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