An Hour to While Away.... At the PO.

The current Indian scene of investing is not upswing. Investments are dominated by corporate banks and institutions nowadays. But i am here not to go blah-blah about these corporates To do that, there are many experts who have done extensive research and blogged.

I recently happened to visit the Post Office. Yes, some place as simple as that. It was for sending a document across to B'lore and I decided to use the famed Speed-Post network for this.It had been quite some time since I had visited a Post Office. As i filed myself into a queue, my eyes paced around the 800 odd square feet area. Old Records, Grilled cabinets and the nostalgic chaapa or the blue inked seal, much was the same except for the pieces of furniture with glass partitions which looked new.

On any normal day, one can see a handful of grey haired men at the PO. Well, we could argue that the Aged preferred safe and secure deposits, rather than risking it all in Mutual Funds and Share markets. Apart from that, they received their due respect and dignity at these places. I have noticed a seventy+ being pushed around in ICICI once. Now, thats not the case with Post Offices. The employees greet them and sit for a nice little chat, sometimes accompanied by tea.

I still couldn't make up my mind that such places existed... All I had been seeing in the past couple of years were ATMs, plush and high-tech banks, IT parks and Export units.This was like a rare gem still left untouched by the wave of modernisation. It felt good to see that at least some part of the present had traces of the past left. Yes, the removal of Post Offices wont make a big difference as every Tom,Dick and Harry can e-mail each other now... But, that would result in the eviction of what I feel deserves a place in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Centers!