Shillong, Nov 8: If we speak about “Runners” we would get a whole lot of definitions, but it aptly defines Greek legend Pheidippides and the scores of unsung heroes who were Runners much before our time.

Pheidippides (530–490 BCE) ran from Marathon to Athens just to deliver the news that the Greeks had defeated the Persians. Legends say he ran non-stop 240 km for two days and then 40 km to deliver the Greek victory message and then collapsed and died. In his honour the 40 km Marathon is named.

All over the world, there were Runners or couriers who delivered important messages for the kings and queens. Right from the Gupta period or even before, a kingdom with all its mighty armies wasn’t enough without the important Runners delivering crucial messages at crucial times.

Much like the way we tweet, call over the phone, send messages on Facebook, email or use any other means of communication to convey our love, sorrows or just chit-chat for hours these days. Life without these means of communication would mean nothing for some or difficult in general.

But we are missing a small detail here, the snail mail. “Ordinary posts in post offices are rare these days,” a lady employee at the Shillong General Post Office said with a melancholic smile.

Back in those days, ordinary posts were the love letters, the inquiry about family members, messages about a family member doing well in life, just a wish during festivals or just long-distance chit-chats. These are long gone and what remains are the red-letter boxes standing lonely at different places.

Coming back to Runners they were the forefathers of postmen. Runners, also known as Dak Runners, Tappals or simply Dauriyas, existed till the early 20th century.

These Runners existed till the British colonial era and they carried a bag filled with joy or sorrow on their shoulders and ran through villages, forests, mountains, floods, rain encountering bandits, wild animals just to deliver the messages and importantly “on time.”

Each Runner had a sharp spear with a bell dangling (spear for defence and bell to ward off animals) and a lantern to find their way through uncertain nights and hard days. Runners relayed the message to their counterpart at a specific location who then took it further on. There are many interesting stories about these Runners and their adventurous and difficult lives.

They were paid per kilometer of distance covered and just like Pheidippides this system of Runners also collapsed and was killed by the vagaries of time leaving behind postmen.

“Now postmen deliver mostly registered letters, speed posts and also deliver parcels… ordinary letters are gone,” the lady said. Postcards and Inland letters are still sold, but hardly without any buyers. Four post cards cost Re 1 and an Inland letter Rs 3.

A look at the GPO reveals scores of empty shelves where at one point of time were filled with ordinary letters. “Yes, these were at one point in time filled with letters… but you can still write in a post card or Inland letter and we would ensure your message would be delivered…on time,” a senior lady GPO employee assured.

Also Read: IIM Shillong unveils initiatives for community empowerment and skill development in the Northeast

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