Steam-lovers back DHR press

ANURADHA SHARMA
The building that houses the railway printing press in Kurseong. Picture by Vivek Singh

Siliguri, June 19: The railways’ decision to close down its printing press in Kurseong, along with all its other presses across the country, has provoked a strong reaction from steam-enthusiasts who believe that the “historic machinery” is a part of the heritage of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

The press prints all kinds of stationary for the entire Northeast Frontier Railway, including manually generated tickets for toy trains that are in great demand among DHR-lovers.

Now, the Railway Board has decided to outsource all its printing work and close down the presses by March 31, 2010.

The London-based DHR Society is trying to move international public opinion against the decision, which has been greeted by protests from workers’ unions in India which are apprehensive about the loss of livelihoods.

In the May issue of The Darjeeling Mail, a quarterly published by the Society, Peter Tiller has defended the existence of the printing presses.

“It would be almost unthinkable for the historic machinery to be scrapped,” Tiller wrote. “If this were to be the case…… a whole dimension of the heritage of the railway would be lost to future generations.”

Tiller, who is a member of the Society, added: “Efficiency of operation is obviously vital, but economics cannot be the principal driving force behind the decision-making where world heritage is concerned.”

The building, in which the Kurseong printing press is housed, dates back to the second decade of the 20th century. G.B. Cresswell designed it as the new headquarters of the DHR, Tiller said. It became the location of the press after 1948.

“The structure remains largely intact, despite a fire which destroyed the facade immediately above the entrance many years ago,” Tiller said. “The works (printing press) is now hidden behind a concrete building put up ten years ago, but is a vital piece of the heritage building group of which Kurseong station is only a part.”

“Whatever is planned, the building will require careful restoration, particularly with regard to the damaged area above the entrance,” Tiller said in his article.

Although the railway authorities share Tiller’s enthusiasm for the building, they think differently about the press. “The building is part of the DHR’s heritage, not the printing press,” Subrata Nath, director of DHR, said. “The press is relatively new and has not been considered a part of the DHR site.”

DHR enthusiasts, however, differ.

“We have sold more than 1,000 manually generated DHR tickets in the UK as souvenirs,” said Rajendra Baid, the president of the Siliguri-based DHR India Support Group. “They have been lapped up by enthusiasts there for their heritage value.”

Baid added: “We understand that it is not feasible for the railways to run the press, which uses obsolete technology. But our suggestion is that the machinery should not be scrapped or sold to anyone else. They should be preserved in a museum, if nothing else can be done.”