DON'T CORPORATIZE TRUST

At a time when the world is realizing the value of strong public institutions, India must not let one of its finest fade into a profit-first shadow

- Bruhaspati Samal

In the quiet village lanes of rural India, where even the reach of roads is uncertain, there exists one institution that has never failed to arrive—the post office.

It may not bear the glitz of a private courier or the automation of a modern bank, but its presence is sacred. The red letterbox, the khaki-clad postman, and the familiar voice calling out names with letters from afar—this has been India Post for nearly 170 years. For millions, especially in remote and underprivileged areas, it is not merely a government department but a lifeline of emotion, memory, trust, and service. It is in this deeply emotional context that the recent statements by Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia have caused unrest among postal employees and concerned citizens.

On 2 July, Scindia, while addressing the Postal and Sorting Assistants, praised the spirit of “Dak Sewa, Jan Sewa”—rightly recognizing the Department of Posts as a service-oriented institution with a rich legacy of connecting India’s people. However, within days, in an interview published by The Times of India on 7 July, he made remarks that stand in sharp contrast. He proposed to transform India Post into a “profit centre” and announced a planned revamp of its six operational verticals: mail, international mail, parcel, postal life insurance, post office savings bank, and citizen-centric services. He also spoke about exploring the option of leasing certain post office buildings. These statements have sparked justified fears that the government is once again contemplating the corporatization of India Post under the broader ideological push for privatization, typical of the present regime.