Published in Times of India a few years ago.


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One can never imagine a railway coach without a toilet. But not many know that toilets were introduced on Indian trains only after one Okhil Chandra Sen wrote a letter in 1909 to the Sahibganj divisional office complaining about how he missed the train when he got down to attend to the call of nature. Reproduced below is the unedited letter:



Dear Sir,

I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefor went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with lotah in one hand and dhoti in the next when I fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on plateform. I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station.

This too much bad, if passengers go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him. I am therefor pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report to papers.