Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Okhil Babu's Historic letter to the railway Department

OKHIL BABU'S HISTORIC LETTER TO THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT

'I am arrive by passenger train Ahmednagar station and
my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am
therefore went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance
that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and
I am running with 'lotah' in one hand and 'dhoti' in
the next when I am fall over and expose all my
shocking to man and female on plateform. I am got
leaved at Ahmenagar station.
This too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that
damn guard not
wait train five minutes for him. I am therefore pray
your honour to
make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise
I am making big report! To papers.'

Okhil Chandra Sen wrote this letter to the Sahibganj Divisional Railway office in 1909. It is on display at the Railway Museum in New Delhi. It was also reproduced under the caption 'Travellers' Tales' in the Far Eastern Economic Review.

Any reason why this letter was of historic value?
It apparently led to the introduction of toilets on trains!

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