In 2012, when the industries in Coimbatore faced more than 10 hours of power cut a day several industrial associations urged their member units to send telegrams to the Chief Minister. Similarly, when the Union Government imposed import duty on cotton in 2008, hundreds of telegrams went from the textiles mills in the State to the Textile Ministry and the Prime Minister.
On several such occasions, Coimbatore’s industries have found the telegram useful as they were able to highlight to the government the problems they faced.
Communication systems have developed but the telegram was helpful to show to the Government the severity of a problem that the industries faced, says an official of the Southern India Mills’ Association.
Members of the 80-year-old association sent more than 1,000 telegrams twice in 2008, appealing to the government to withdraw the import duty on cotton. Over 1,000 telegrams were sent again in March this year seeking release of cotton by the Cotton Corporation of India.
The 60-year-old southern India Engineering Manufacturers’ Association surrendered its telegram code (MANUFACTURE) a couple of years ago as the use of telegrams had reduced over the years. Earlier, most of its communication to the Government was through the telegram.
Be it a cottage industry or a large-scale textile mill, telegram had been a useful communication tool for the industries here to send bulk messages to the government. The message is on record and even a small unit owner can use it. Its existence is a service to the industry, say industry representatives here.
Most of them have switched over to e-mail or fax to communicate with the Government or with other industries. The industries say that the telegram service should be continued as there is no alternative to it, especially to communicate messages immediately to the Government.
The industries have appealed to the Government to continue the telegram service as the Government has decided to suspend telegram and phonogram services from mid-July. It is their only option to convey to the Government the emergency of a problem and the need for an immediate solution, they say.
