Unnmukht Gagan

Those were the days my friend… ‘The Telephone’

It was one of our chatting sessions that we landed into discussion on how depended we have become on the mobile & the transformation that has happened over the years on the once existing simple telephone!

Today one gets to hear about so many forms  & the youngsters are in competition to own the latest gadgette.

I recollect, when we were children, if one had a phone at home, it was a matter of pride! The heavy, black, frog like instrument – the P&T phone! 

Like all other ‘precious things at home – the radio from Murphy, the Gramophone from HMV; this too found itself decorated by a carefully woven ‘crochet’ cover. Usually of the white thread, although some homes had fancy designs on it.

The features- the look of the phone – Black, heavy, huge for our small hands those days, small circles cut out which displayed the numbers.  Not to forget that one could also lock the dial!  My uncle, a doctor, would lock his phone to stop us playing pranks! It would require a lot of strength in our little fingers to turn the dial & get it to swing back in its place… It sure was fun!

The cords too were different, they were made from a cloth like material wrapped around the wire. In some, due to high wear & tear, one could see the cord with a crumple cover waiting to break free!

The telephone generated avenues for income too.  Apart from the so obvious revenue earned by the P&T,  cleaning the instrument to keep it black & shinny; a young lady would visit us once in 15 days… or was it once a month, I quite don’t recollect. She would clean & stuff a small piece of cotton with a nice smelling liquid into the receiver! What an experience it used to be, to use a freshly cleaned, aromatic telephone!

We also recollected the occasions of making a ‘trunk call’. One had to book a call through an operator if you wished to speak to folks in other cities! The operator with an emotionless voice would tell you that it was 2 to 3 minutes and would connect you through. I would always wonder that she has heard the entire conversation – oh no! and she would keep butting in stating ‘your time booked for the call is getting over. Do you wish to extend?’ What a hurry it used to be for the series of speakers who wished to connect. Am sure it used to be the same on the other end too! The loud ‘Hello’ could be heard almost down the lane – I used to wonder why we speak so loud, almost scream I should say! High pitch, hurried movement were symptoms of trunk calls! And all the calls were book after 10 pm. Lower rates – the benefit of speaking to all the members for a few minutes more! In some families the order of the speakers would be formed – 1^st the eldest, then the next and then the next and so on so forth. So by the time the young ones got to speak to their favourite aunt or uncle – the time was up! Crying at this unfair deal, the child would sob to sleep.

Ah!  not to forget the ‘PP’ concept which came in a few years later. You were one of the fortunate to have a phone at home & one could connect directly from home. Then came the progressive times when the operator was done away with & one could dial the number directly! Here the neighbour – the less fortunate ones;  gave your number to their relatives to connect when required. You had the responsibility to call them when a call came for them. The calls would come while the family was on the dinner table and lo behold the whole neighbours family were in your sitting room answering the call ! You would sit & wonder how long would these conversations last! For the neighbour, I always got a feeling that it was more like an outing – pre or post dinner, depending on what was their dinner time.

Almost at the same time was the mushrooming of the STD booth at every nook & corner of streets. These were also  another opportunity to earn. I recollect in Kolkata, many young boys and old ‘dadus’ ( Grandpa’s) sat at the STD booths.  What I also recollect were the long winding lines outside the booths. One would need a lot of patience to keep standing, waiting for your turn. And just in case the person inside took a long time, laughed & joked to the other side, the climatic conditions outside would see the movement from an amber to a red! The rumbling, mumbling would slowly start – “How long will he talk? , We are also waiting?’ etc. In Kolkata the lines would be in Bengali of course!

The progress in connectivity was so fast in the last decade, the advent of the Mobile phone completely changed the country! To add to this difference, we saw the same service providers bring in broadbands which also brought in the change in the landlines. Telephone installed in 24hrs ! This was an unbelievable in the past! Not to forget the cosmetics of the phone, Sleek, colourful, with CI flashing and so many other features getting plugged in!

Every individual, is connected! This is only one aspect of change that has swept the life of an average Indian. A mobile is no more a matter of luxury! This generation is born with an iPhone and the dexterity to use any gadget at their disposal! I learn from these kids the functioning of these devices – Would love to call it reverse coaching!