PRAKASH RAMACHANDRAIAH writes: Okhil Chandra Sen wrote this historic letter to the Sahibganj divisional railway office in 1909. It is on display at the Railway Museum in New Delhi. It was also reproduced in the 'Travellers' Tales' column of the Far Eastern Economic Review.
"I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur 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 women on plateform.
"I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station. This too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that dam 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."
Any guesses why this letter was of historic value? It apparently led to the introduction of toilets in trains!
Poor O C Sen. If not writing this letter and railway people not seriously taking subject into hand, men and women what doing on train for latrine?
God is great. Now we all can go on train and if becoming urgent go to toilet and do!
That O.C. Sen letter had appeared in the Khushwant Singh column in the now-defunct Illustrated Weekly of India in 1970. It was followed by a rejoinder sent in by a reader.
This is a rejoinder to the “private shookings ” letter which appeared in
on June 28, 1970. This is from the editor’s page, July 19. 1970.
“While me fall down in hurry to ride the going train I was saw the dam guard shouting the whistle and moving a flag (which country it was I didn’t know), but he keep standing on the platefarum not try enter to the compartment. Was he go by aeroplan to the next stashun?”Make a juge inquiry and sent the results to bearded Happy Time Lion in his den at Horn Bye Road, Bombay, who passed to me”
Another joke that appeared in the same column on August 9, 1970:
August 9, 1970.
Linguistic Bloomers
…..Then there is the mauling of foreign words. A lady reluctant to give up a seat she had occupied proclaimed: ” I am not *nickling* from here.” Mr Pandu Chintamani of Bombay sends me a report conveyed by the guard
of a train in which the lights were on the “blink”. It read “Bijlee is bajanging…if any haraj maraj ho gaya, Guard is not jumevar.” I don’t believe it. However, here is one of my favorites.
A minister for Housing (name not disclosed for fear of causing “hatred
ridicule or contempt.”) was presiding over a committee considering plans for building urinals. the plans were examined and passed. The Honorable Minister made the concluding address: “Gentlemen, now that we have sanctioned plans for the construction of urinals, it is only appropriate that we should take up the scheme for raising arsenals.” Did you catch the bloomer?