It is afternoon and M. Ishaq, an advocate, is busy rushing through formalities at the pack and parcel counter at the GPO Abids. He wants to ensure that his parcel reaches his sister settled in California by Id day.
Annual custom
An excited Ishaq quickly jots down bangles, kurta-pyjama, shirt-shalwar etc. in the post-office form. “It is a custom that our family follows year after year,” Mr. Ishaq says and adds that he also makes it a point to present clothes to his sister here. Foreign goods have always been a rage in the south of the city, but not many know that NRIs settled across the globe eagerly look forward for the finery sent from their home town for Id.
Walking stick in hand, 60-year-old Syed Rahman reaches the GPO with a big bag.
Apart from clothes and other accessories, it contains a pack of biscuits. “It is an Id gift for my grandchildren who are settled in the USA,” the elderly man says proudly, and adds, “they eagerly await it every year.”
A few hundred people from across the city make a beeline to the parcel booking counter at the GPO every Ramzan to send their package to USA, Europe, Australia, Malaysia and the Middle East.
Necessity
It is both a token of love and necessity for the NRI families. “My sister-in-law and niece are very fond of bangles and they insist that we send them along with the clothes my mother sends every Ramzan,” says Mohd Afzal Hussain, software professional from Yakutpura.
Heavy rush
Officials at the GPO admit that there is heavy rush of parcel booking during the month of Ramzan. On an average, about 300 persons visit the post-office every day and send packages through parcel, speedpost and world net services offered by the department.
“There is a drastic increase during Ramzan and most of the people make it a point to send their parcel in the initial days of the month to ensure that it reaches before the Id,” an official at GPO Abids said.
