It was a quite curious letter. I want my readers to study it, especially the parts circled in red, before we discuss it. The parts masked in gray are not to be studied, because the masking is done to protect the identity of the persons involved.
It is actually an order in strong words by someone holding a very high post to various Deans and Heads of various departments in four medical colleges in some city. They are ordered to both make themselves available and attend that meeting. Such strong words to such eminent people imply a very powerful person signing that letter, and the issue must be something as important as national security.
Now we concentrate on the part marked in red. The meeting is scheduled on 01-04-2014. The letter is signed and dispatched by the signatory on 19-04-2014, 18 days after the scheduled date of the meeting. It is received by dispatch section of one Dean on 22-04-2014, signed by the Dean and sent to one department head on 24th April 2014, 23 days after the scheduled date of the meeting. I heard that the date of receipt of the letter by that department head was 28-04-2014, 27 days after that scheduled date.
"It must be a typo" a visiting Professor who happened to see a copy of this letter said. I had been sent a copy by someone who knew of my interest in the curious and unfathomable. "It must have been 01--5-2014."
"That is possible" I said. "1st May is May day - a public holiday. A meeting scheduled on such an auspicious day must be critically important. But when inquiries were made about the meeting, the Director's office knew nothing about it, nor did the health department on whose stationery it was printed. No such meeting took place on 1st May, so that the typo was not in the date 01-04-2014. Anyway look at that precision of writing the date. It is '01-04-2014', not '1-4-2014' like mere mortals write. Such precise people do not make typos. Or they notice the typos made by mere mortal typists, shout at them and get them corrected.. Typos are not possible in other places, as three different individuals have put the date in the month of April 2014, of which one is in the form of a date stamp."
"So what is your explanation?"
"I have no explanation" I said. "I cannot understand working of great minds. But there is a possibility. Perhaps they have been approached to make a bulk purchase of time machines for the civic body, and they want to motivate Deans and department heads to requisition these machines for their use."
"Are you being sarcastic" the Professor asked me.
"Who, me?" I said.
Now we concentrate on the part marked in red. The meeting is scheduled on 01-04-2014. The letter is signed and dispatched by the signatory on 19-04-2014, 18 days after the scheduled date of the meeting. It is received by dispatch section of one Dean on 22-04-2014, signed by the Dean and sent to one department head on 24th April 2014, 23 days after the scheduled date of the meeting. I heard that the date of receipt of the letter by that department head was 28-04-2014, 27 days after that scheduled date.
"It must be a typo" a visiting Professor who happened to see a copy of this letter said. I had been sent a copy by someone who knew of my interest in the curious and unfathomable. "It must have been 01--5-2014."
"That is possible" I said. "1st May is May day - a public holiday. A meeting scheduled on such an auspicious day must be critically important. But when inquiries were made about the meeting, the Director's office knew nothing about it, nor did the health department on whose stationery it was printed. No such meeting took place on 1st May, so that the typo was not in the date 01-04-2014. Anyway look at that precision of writing the date. It is '01-04-2014', not '1-4-2014' like mere mortals write. Such precise people do not make typos. Or they notice the typos made by mere mortal typists, shout at them and get them corrected.. Typos are not possible in other places, as three different individuals have put the date in the month of April 2014, of which one is in the form of a date stamp."
"So what is your explanation?"
"I have no explanation" I said. "I cannot understand working of great minds. But there is a possibility. Perhaps they have been approached to make a bulk purchase of time machines for the civic body, and they want to motivate Deans and department heads to requisition these machines for their use."
"Are you being sarcastic" the Professor asked me.
"Who, me?" I said.
