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Industry : Radio, TV & Films Functional Area : Travel
Activity:  27 comments  356 views  last activity : 07 20 2011 18:32:11 +0000
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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.

"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 introduction of toilets in trains!

 

 

 Top Comment : Rohit Thakur   | 04 26 2011 05:28:06 +0000
Good one! So due to Jack fruit we got toilets in Railways!! Also I thank God that it happened in 1909, if that case happens today then our Politicians will ban eating Jack fruit during journey rather introducing toilets to Railways. thanks for referral Miss!
 
26 comments on "Okhil Babu's letter to the Railway Department"
  Commented by  Manna Hazarika, Freelancer, IT Services    | 07 20 2011 18:32:11 +0000
That's an awesome piece of information, Darshana! Thanks for sharing :) 

Rohit, this is not an junk article. 
  Commented by  Sanjay Kumar, Territory Manager- Delhi / NCR    | 05 10 2011 17:50:54 +0000
thanks madam for this wonderful story behind the toilets in train. i think most of the population don't  know this actual story. i am waiting many more stories from you madam.
  Commented by  Shankar Prasad Bhattacharjee, Lawyer/Attorney, legal Professional    | 05 02 2011 03:16:50 +0000
What a NOTE to the authority! 
  Commented by  Harminder Singh Gumbhir, MBA/PGDM student, nil    | 04 30 2011 17:37:12 +0000
Its a very funny piece of info. but at the same time it is very good info.

Tanx Darshana for this info.

Regards

Harminder Singh Gumbhir

(Tehzeeb Square Boy)

Lucknow
  Commented by  Arun Singh, Astt.Manager,Business development,Abhijeet Projects Ltd    | 04 29 2011 07:21:33 +0000
interesting......
can you post more such stuff..small deeds but big difference.
Thanks! nice one 
  Commented by  Isaac Madhavan, Soft Skills Lecturer, Maharajah College    | 04 28 2011 23:14:28 +0000
I just realized that Okhil Chandra Sen actually did NOT ask for toilets on the train. It seems that there were very clever & sensitive people running the Railways in 1909. Rather than doing what the letter asked, they understood what should be done, and then they did it.  

Darshana, would you know, how long after the complaint were the toilets introduced? 

Also, what are the chances - today - of someone's VALID complaint being actioned upon in such a historic way? :)
  Commented by  Pradeep Saran, Technical Expert    | 04 28 2011 08:00:02 +0000
Good information. Thanks. 
  Commented by  Rohit Thakur, Sr. MEP QA/QC Engineer, QA/QC INCHARGE, CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST-MEP    | 04 28 2011 05:50:19 +0000
Is it necessary that every one should know everything?.I really mean it, i wasn't aware about this fact. but when i read this article I really found it little funny but True as well! anyways thanks guys for your views. and again Miss Sawant thanks for sharing it here!
  Commented by  Rathin Deb, Freelance Retail Consultant    | 04 27 2011 11:45:15 +0000
Darshyana simply great.
Pretty hilarious.  Thanks for sharing.
  Commented by  Ganta Achuthan Sripathy, Consultant, Sripathy Consultancy Services    | 04 27 2011 08:39:23 +0000
Thanks for sharing this.
  Commented by  rhutula sharad jadhav, MBA/PGDM student, swayam siddhi institute of management    | 04 26 2011 15:35:08 +0000
hey..darshana..thnks 4 ur valuable insight...as it is rightly said,"necessity is mother of all invention" dis 1 is apt..eg...
  Commented by  Vinod Yadav, Marketing Manager, L & T    | 04 26 2011 11:42:38 +0000
good one, keep it up. things improve only when you complain.
  Commented by  Mohammad Bakhsh, Project Leader/Managing Consultant, Freelancer    | 04 26 2011 10:58:41 +0000
 Thanks,Darshana. This letter shows how things improve.In present time context, the corporate world and Government could learn importance of feed backs.
..thankz ...
  Commented by  Atul Kumar, Project Leader    | 04 26 2011 09:13:02 +0000
Thanks for sharing....
  Commented by  SHRIKANT MANOHAR DANKE, Consultant, Project Management Consultancy Firm    | 04 26 2011 07:45:46 +0000
Thanks for the posting, as I don't know this history.
Thanks for referral, Darshana.
  Commented by  pradeep, application support/developer, VBizAp soft    | 04 26 2011 07:10:37 +0000
Rating : -1 
hey it s history u shd nw rohit
  Commented by  Priya Varadan, Independent consultant, Self employed    | 04 26 2011 07:09:23 +0000
tks, good one, Darshana.. dont know when and which letter wud lead to world class, all  accessible railways coaches and stations
  Commented by  S. Muralidharan, Head, Project Planning/Strategy, Knowledge Foundation    | 04 26 2011 05:53:25 +0000
Rating : +2 
Gangmen and line-men should come up with strange story like this so that the lavatories in the trains should not allow the solid and liquid wastes litter the tracks which these workers find, at times, difficult to walk over to monitor the tracks for human safety!
  Commented by  manish kumar, freelancer    | 04 26 2011 05:42:10 +0000
Rating : +1 
thank u Jack fruit , and thanks ma'am for insight
Wow..never knew this incident happened which introduced the toilets in trains..

Thankss to Okhil Babu..:)
  Commented by  Babumon, Art Director/Sr Art Director, don't want to say    | 04 26 2011 05:37:24 +0000
like this. 
  Commented by  Rohit Thakur, Sr. MEP QA/QC Engineer, QA/QC INCHARGE, CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST-MEP    | 04 26 2011 05:28:06 +0000
Rating : +1 
Good one! So due to Jack fruit we got toilets in Railways!!

Also I thank God that it happened in 1909, if that case happens today then our Politicians will ban eating Jack fruit during journey rather introducing toilets to Railways. thanks for referral Miss!
  Commented by  Rohit Kumar, Solutions Architect, TooStep    | 04 26 2011 05:25:06 +0000
Rating : -2 
Why spoiling a professional network like Toostep with such junk articles?
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