You might just miss the only post office in Satjelia. Housed in a mud hut, the metal red letter box hanging outside is the only clue.
This 80-year-old sub-post office in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district serves seven gram panchayats. The mud structure has withstood super cyclones like Aila and Amphan which wreaked havoc in the Sunderbans. It’s a lifeline to many residents who have savings accounts at the post office; their government documents, such as various identity cards, arrive by post here.
Gosaba block is surrounded by three rivers – Gomti to the north-west, Datta to the south and Gandal to the east. Jayant Mandal, a resident of Luxbagan village says, “this post office is our only hope in this island area [to get their government documents].”
Niranjan Mandal, the current postmaster, has worked here for 40 years. Before him it was his father who served as the postmaster. Every morning he makes his way on foot from his home to his workplace, a journey of a few minutes. The local tea shop located near the post office has people coming and going all day, so the post office always has visitors.
Left: The river bank near the post office. Right: The post office operates out of a mud hut and serves seven gram panchayats in Gosaba block
Left: Niranjan Mandal, the postmaster and Babu, the peon. Right: The post office is a lifeline to many residents who have savings accounts here and this is where their government documents arrive by mail
Work for the 59-year-old postmaster begins around 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. The source of light inside the post office is from solar panels, not very effective during monsoons. When the panels are not charged, the employees use a kerosene lamp. They get Rs. 100 a month for their upkeep – 50 rupees for rent and 50 for supplies, says Niranjan.
Working with Niranjan is the peon, Babu whose work is to deliver letters to households across the gram panchayats for which he uses his bicycle.
Having served the post office for almost half a century, Niranjan babu is set to retire in a few years. Before that, “my only dream is to see construction start for a pucca building,” he says.
The reporter would like to thank Oorna Raut for her help with this story.
