How the Indian imagination of the postman and delivery partners differ
Sonu, the ever smiling Zomato delivery executive, fondly called the #happyrider by social media became one of the most viral memes earlier this year. Delivery partners like Sonu who are the last mile foot soldiers of e-commerce companies have suddenly become an integral part of our urban landscape. They are an essential cog in the daily lifestyle of an average citizen; becoming the mainstay for households in the wake of the pandemic. A generation of Indians who had been averse to e-commerce and wary of financial tech transactions have reluctantly started adapting to it. Cooped inside the house the doorbell has assumed a new meaning; the imagination of the possible person behind it has travelled far since the days when the only delivery guy happened to be the neighborhood postman. The postman has been one of the most loved and storied characters in post independent India. From being one of the largest employers in the country to having a presence in the smallest administrative division in the remotest corner of the country; the postman has literally been the symbolic great unifier of the country. As postmen slowly go extinct and the number of uniformed riders exponentially rise, the transition between the two service providers transcends a change in the social fabric of our country itself.
The Sarkaari against Tech Start Up
The job of the postman was not only the highly sought-after government job; but an embodiment of the “sarkaar” itself. For the longest time, the postman was the sole guaranteed representative of the central government; even in the remotest corner of the country. In a country where the population intrinsically leans on the administrative system, the presence and sight of the local postman acted as an assurance. The “sarkaari” aura of the postman carries on till date despite many attempts to modernize the system. Postmen in most part of the country still don their oversized khaki uniform, a worn-out sling bag on their shoulder while riding a rusted bicycle. In contrast to the ageing postman, stand the brand-new delivery agents. In their smart uniform, ergonomically designed bag and efficient 2-wheeler they embody the culture of a next generation digitally guided and startup savvy Indians. While today the postman is an echo of the past, their cycles struggling on the city roads; the new age delivery partners look and act as a part of 21stcentury India where the “IT sector” has become the new “sarkaari” job.
The Izzatdaar Postman against the Replaceable Delivery Agent
Though poster boys of progress, the cultural meaning associated with the delivery agents of today are a far cry from that of the postman of yore. The postman commanded natural respect and regards of the people they served in their community. Being the sole sarkaari representative in many parts of the country already lent an aura of “izzat” to them. But apart from that fact, in a largely illiterate land, the postmen were hailed as a role model for the local community by virtue of their education. Educated people who held government post became the new looked upon class, and English language skill was next only to divinity. The postman by virtue of their education and a respectable job, not only delivered the letters but helped their local community to translate and write letters while also reading it aloud for people inept with basic language skills. In effect postmen became a mainstay communication medium by themselves. The pride in the job was well documented in the movie Swades when the village postman is the one to confidently greet the visiting NRI while showing off his educational qualification and pieced together English. Sharing their past with the legendary “daak runners” of the medieval age; people who ran miles from post to post to deliver important communication especially during war times, postmen have assumed a mythical aura for themselves. Thus, news such as that of a Tamil Nadu postman who crossed jungles and river while fending wild animals as a part of his duty make for appealing headlines even today. The same status cannot be claimed by the swathes of delivery agents who serve our cities today. The job is identified explicitly with a lower socio-economic class, which comes with the stigmatized imagination of the person’s lack of higher education or any other skilled vocational training. Because of the largely ingrained class/caste structure and the “baabu” mentality of sections of the privileged Indians, such jobs are not treated with the basic respect they deserve. While the postman would have been offered a seat and refreshment during his round in the small town, in cities the delivery executives are treated with contempt. The lack of empathy of urban denizen is well portrayed in the dark short film “Shameless”, in which Sayani Gupta depicts the real toll in a daily day of a pizza delivery executive. Brands that employ the riders have also been accused of unfair practices and avoiding basic employment benefits; though of late a conscious attempt is being made to address and reverse in some capacity.
The Emotional Currency against The Functional Plugin
The postman not only commands professional respect but has always been an integral member and unifier of the local community. Before the telecom and internet age, letters were the primary mode of communication which were charged with emotional currency; demonstrated aptly in the famous song “Sandeshein Aatein Hai” from the movie Border. The bubbling anticipation to hear from loved ones turned the arrival of postman on his humble bicycle into an event of unparalleled joy. In the memorable song “Dakia Dak Laya” the effect that the postman has on the villagers is no less than that of the monsoon in the lives of Indian farmers. More often than not being the one to read out the enveloped message, the postman became the OG voice assistant; a harbinger of news both good and bad. Naturally they became an extended member of the family, playing the role of communicator, advisor and a friend as and when needed. Malgudi Days introduced us to the warmth of the postman, the person who sincerely brought job offer letters, kept track of elders’ pension, safely delivered money orders to ageing parents and also took the liberty to delay a tragic news till the conclusion of a merry family marriage. It is also not hard to imagine the postman as a binding agent in the village, at the center of the evening bazaar gossip over a cup of tea/coffee. As we started receiving our job offers on emails, sending money over digital apps and expressing our love on whatsapp through evocative emojis/gif; letters became relegated to the ignored bank statements and the emotional currency of the postman’s delivery lost all value. The delivery agents ring the bell to plug in our pertinent functional needs, not to fill an emotional void. It may be rightly argued that pizza and fries hold emotional value, but comparing that to a monthly personal letter is a fool hardy. The conversation one might strike with the delivery guy might be about the reason behind the delay, not to indulge in a local community gossip. While the postman was a familiar welcoming face, the recurring symbol of assurance, the variable delivery partners are nothing more than a service to the city dwellers today, the assurance stemming from their branded uniform rather than the personal presence of a new face.
As the Indian society transforms and the villages rapidly turn into towns, the last remnant of what would be the OG postman today is fast depleting. It is a sounding call for Indian Post, one of country’s most prized institution to keep up with times and change itself. There have been multiple failed attempts at modernization of the postal system of India, the latest undertaken by the current government a couple of years ago. The other day I was surprised to receive a courier from a young lad in a smart uniform after signing off on a tablet; he happened to be from the Indian post. It was reassuring to see the grand old institution finally waking up to the modern time. As a branding professional, I am excited to see how the legacy of Indian Post and the cultural currency of the postman is capitalized in the times to come.
