Call it ‘mechanical’
dispensation of justice if you may, but the humble ‘typewriter’, a device of
the last century perceived to have gone extinct in recent times is vital to the
functioning of litany of the city’s courts. In fact, the clang of the
typewriter is a vital cog to the proper functioning of the court, serving most
of their needs.
From Notaries to
stenographers to typists, this device is what keeps the courts running, serving
their immediate and long term needs. Want to get an affidavit typed or a
statement composed in a jiffy? A large number of typists would do it, in
devices that are almost more than 80 years old, giving a touch of antiquity to
your work.
The typewriter may
have waged a losing war for significance in sectors across against Charles
Babbage’s little invention, the computer, but people are inclined towards the
latter as is preferred for reasons more than once. Gautam Dey, a senior typist
at Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Kolkata has put in almost 29 years of
service, puts things in perspective: “A majority of people who come to us are
those with documents in illegible handwriting that are to be presented in
courts. We analyse them and compose them in a manner that is acceptable in the
court, which those with computers refuse to do.”
Gautam Da, who has
been a typist since 1984, says he refused to learn computer data text processing:
“I’ve felt that they were loading too much into my head; nothing gives me
happiness than getting a feel of the keys of the typewriter,” he sums up his
sentiments.
Technological
advancement however has been slow and perceptible. Despite all this, one reason
seems to be spurring the tribe of 20 odd typists in the Metropolitan court
vicinity. “We have a loyal section of customers, mostly senior advocates and
officials who prefer their documents only typewritten, we feel obliged to serve
their needs.”
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