GURU DUTT stamp released on 10 10 2004
Denomination :500p
Stamps Printed :0.6 Million
Date of Issue :10-10-2004
Theme: Personality
The 50’s was undoubtedly the golden era of Hindi films blessed with directors and artistes who could stamp their individuality on their work. One such personality who carved a niche for himself as a director, actor, and producer in the decade, was Guru Dutt Shivshankar Padukone, popularly known as Guru Dutt. His films had a uniqueness, a brooding intensity, so much so that a single frame of his work could be identified as his own.
Guru Dutt was born on July 9, 1925 in Bangalore. His father Shivshankar Padukone worked as a school headmaster and then in a bank in Bangalore, and his mother Vasanthi was a school teacher. He had two brothers and two sisters.
He had his early education in Calcutta. Financial constraints did not allow him to study further than matriculation which he completed in 1941. His creative instincts were manifest from a young age. He was interested in photography and had a natural inclination for dancing and music especially Hindi and Bengali folk music. He joined the Way Shankar India Culture Centre’ in Almora. After his dance training, he got a break in films as a dance director on a three-year contract at Prabhat Films, Pune when along with choreography, he assisted directors otherwise and even acted in some small roles. After his contract with Prabhat was over he managed to get a job as assistant director to Amiya Chakravarty, a leading film director at the time, in his film ‘Girls School’, and in 1950 he assisted Gyan Mukherjee in Bombay Talkies film’Sangram’.
Finally in 1951, he was called upon by his friend Dev Anand, to honour a promise made when they were working together at Prabhat, to direct’Baazi’, a crime thriller. ‘Baazi’ was a huge success and was a trendsetter in the genre of crime films. Most of the songs for the film were sung by Geeta Roy a star singer at that time. Guru Dutt and Geeta Roy met during the song recordings of ‘Baazi’ and fell in love, which culminated in marriage on 26th May 1953.
The decade of the 50’s and early 60’s saw him as a director as well as an actor and producer for a number of films. ‘Aar Paar’ released in 1954 established Guru Dutt as a director to reckon with, followed by some of his best works like ‘Mr. And Mrs. 55′, ‘Pyaasa’ and ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’. But ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’ was a dismal failure at the box office and a dejected Guru Dutt never directed a film again, though he continued to produce films and act in both home and outside productions. In fact soon after, he produced and acted in’Chaudhavin Ka Chand’, which was an instant success and helped Guru Dutt recoup all the losses that he had suffered in’Kaagaz Ke Phool’. and `Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam’ won the President’s silver medal as well as the Film of the Year award from the Bengal Film Journalists Association besides going to the Berlin Film Festival.
Apart from his own productions, Guru Dutt acted in outside productions like ‘Twelve 0′ clock’, ‘Sautela Bhai’, ‘Bahurani’, ‘Bharosa’, etc. On October 10, 1964 the Hindi film world suffered a great loss with the demise of Guru Dutt.
As a director Guru Dutt was a perfectionist who never compromised on quality. He created a unique atmosphere through his sense of music, unique picturization of songs, subtle but intelligent dialogues, novel themes, depth of his characters, excellent use of lighting with light and shade, and superb shots sometimes followed by close ups of actors highlighting their expression which went beyond the merely narrative function and made an impression uniquely identified with their creator He also introduced the use of long focal length lenses, and 100mm as well as 75mm for close ups in Indian films. According to his one time assistant who went on to become a successful director, in his own right, Raj Khosla. “His ambition was not just to make a good film or be one of the top film makers. He aspired to make a great film, a different film and he wanted to be the best film maker. He always wanted things in absolute terms. Be it acclaim or success. He would settle for nothing less. Film making was an obsession with him”.
The Department of Posts honours the unique legacy of Shri Guru Dutt through issue of this commemorative postage stamp.
MARUDHU PANDIAR BROTHERS stamp released on 24 10 2004
Denomination :500p
Stamps Printed :0.4 Million
Date of Issue :24-10-2004
Theme: Personality
The Marudhu Pandiar Brothers of Sivaganga have a special place in the memory of the people of the Tamil Nadu. They spearheaded the South Indian rebellion against the British in 1800-1801. Some historians have hailed this rebellion as the earliest form of freedom struggle in India.
Periya Marudhu & Chinna Marudhu were born to Udaiyar Servai, a General in the army of the Raja of Ramnad, and to his wife, Ponnathal, in 1748 and 1753 respectively. Trained in the martial arts by their father, the two brothers were conferred the title of “Pandian” in appreciation of their valour by the Raja of Ramnad. Subsequently, on the invitation of the Raja ofSivaganga, they became lieutenants in his army. In 1772 Sivaganga was attacked by a strong English army. The Marudhu brothers fought bravely but could not save their king, who died on the battlefield. The brothers devoted themselves to the protection of their queen Velunachiar. They also assisted her in administering her kingdom. She latertransferred her authority to rule the kingdom to the Marudhu brothers fully. They ruled Sivaganga from 1780-1801.
Their rule was marked by secularism & harmony. They promoted employment schemes for the poor & construction of places of worship of different religions. Chinna Marudhu, the younger of the two brothers was the political strategist who spearheaded the task of forming political alliances from Thanjavur to Tirunelveli. He then engineered rebellions against the British at several places, assisted by local leaders. On June 16, 1801, he issued what came to be known as his ‘Rebel Proclamation’ at Tiruchi & Srirangam. It appealed to people of al I sections to take up the patriotic cause and to wage war against the British.
Several battles were fought under their leadership. But in 1801, the brothers were captured by the British and hanged at Tiruppattur on 24th October, 1801 along with many of their kinsfolk and allies.
The Department of Posts honours the memory of the Marudhu Brothers by issuing this commemorative postage stamp.
INDIAN ARMY IN UN PEACKEEPING OPERATIONS stamp released on 24 10 2004
Denomination :500p
Stamps Printed :0.8 Million
Date of Issue :24-10-2004
Theme: Armed Forces
Indian participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping is as old as the history of the UN Peacekeeping itself and goes back over five decades. So far, the Indian Army has participated in 36 Peacekeeping Missions with more than 70,000 troops. India is amongst the largest contributors to the UN Peacekeeping Operations.
The most difficult areas across the world and the range of sensitive Peacekeeping Operations India has participated in, are the testimony to India’s commitment to the UN Charter and its objectives. Known for their equanimity and forbearance, Indian troops have proved popular everywhere. The first deployment came early enough, when India sent troops to Korea as a part of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission in 1953-54. This was a delicate task, involving the repatriation of Prisoners of War. This was followed by a stint at Gaza to keep Israeli and Egyptian forces apart.
The largest (and longest serving) contingent was sent to Congo in 1961. A complete Independent Brigade Group helped bring about peace and its enforcement thereafter, which involved light to heavy engagements with mercenaries. One most cherished compliment came from an adversary. The mercenaries themselves conceded, in later writings, that the Indian contingent’s activity curbed their style. Mention was made of a certain tenacity of purpose in combat. Capt. GS Salaria was awarded posthumously, the country’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra, for his brave action at Katanga.
After Korea (1950-52) and Congo (1960-63), India again sent a Brigade Group to Somalia and displayed its resolve to support international community in peace and security issues. India has deployed Battalion Groups, engineers, medical teams in Cambodia, Angola, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Lebanon and Ethiopia. Observers and staff personnel have made their contributions to the international peace efforts in Central America, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Kuwait, Liberia, Lebanon, Ethiopia-Eritrea, Mozambique, Burundi, Ivory Coast and Congo.
India has also provided able leaders for various missions, to name a few, General Thimayya in Korea & Cyprus, Lt Gen. Dewan Prem Chand in Cyprus & Namibia, Lt. Gen. Satish Nambiar in Yugoslavia, Maj Gen Inderjit Rikhye in Sinai, West Iran & Yemen, Maj Gen PS Gyani in Yemen, Sinai & Cyprus, Maj Gen V Jaitley in Sierra Leone and Maj Gen LM Tiwari in Lebanon apart from many a Contingent Commander. Currently, Maj Gen Rajender Singh, SM, VSM has the honour of commanding the Peacekeeping Force in Ethiopia-Eritrea.
Present contribution of the Indian Army is 2357, inclusive of all ranks. In addition to Military Observers and Staff Officers, the Indian Army is participating with troops in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Ethiopia-Eritrea (UNMEE). The Indian Army is also in the process of deploying one Infantry Brigade Group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Department of Posts is proud to issue a commemorative postage stamp on “Indian Army in UN Peacekeeping Operations”.
DR S ROERICH stamp released on 27 10 2004
Denomination :500p
Stamps Printed :0.6 Million
Date of Issue :27-10-2004
Theme: Personality
Our country has attracted people from all over the world. If it was for some the rich natural resources and unexplored wealth, for others it was the spiritual heritage of this ancient civilization. There were others who found aesthetic inspiration for their creative pursuit. Some of those who belong to the last category were so consumed by the Indian ethos that they decided to make it their home, though not necessarily changing their nationalities. Dr. Svetoslav Roerich was one such legendry artist who, a Russian, made India his home.
Svetoslav was born on October 23, 1904 at St. Petersburg, Russia. His father Prof. Nicholas Roerich was known for his lofty contributions in the field of fine arts, innumerable paintings, culture, ideology and humanistic ideas. His mother Helena Roerich was also a scholar in her own right. She wrote on ethical and spiritual subjects, especially on the importance of women’s role in the new era. At the age of 12, Svetoslav painted his first portrait of his father, which was greatly appreciated. In 1919 in London, he started studies in architecture and painting seriously. He also helped his father in his work on costumes and set designs for Russian theatre artists. Soon his family moved out of England to the United States of America in 1920, where he entered the Architectural Branch of the Columbia University. He continued his education at the Architectural School at Howard University. In 1926, at an exhibition to mark the 150th anniversary of American Independence in Philadelphia, Svetoslav won the Grand Prix.
On completion of his studies in the USA in 1931, he left for India to live with his parents in the Kulu Valley in a place called Naggar where they have been residing since 1923. He was made the Head of the Department of studying the local pharmacopoeia, flora and fauna in the scientific institute called ‘Uruswati’ founded by his father. He married Devika Rani, a grand niece of Poet Rabindranath Tagore, in 1945. She was the First Lady of the Indian Cinema. In 1947, after the death of Nicholas Roerich, Svetoslav and Devika shifted their residence to South Bangalore. His amiable manners, broad outlook and keen appreciation of human values won friends among the eminent personalities like Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Saroj ini Naida etc. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan Award, one of the most coveted honours of India in 1961. The Bulgarian Art Society, Sofia, and the Academy of Fine Arts of the USSR also elected him as an Honorary Fellow in 1978. He also received doctorate of the University of Cyril and Methodism, Bulgaria, in the same year.
The Indian ethos left an imprint on his aesthetics. In a majority of his canvases he painted in India, he presents a mosaic of vistas of this country, its people, its landscape dotted with high mountains, its flora and fauna, its legends and anthropological peculiarities. He was honoured Fellowship by Central Lalit Kala Akademy in 1987.
His association with Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath was life long. He graciously gifted 117 works of his father and his own to the Parishath for a permanent display. The Parishath on its part built two separate galleries for the purpose. This unique display of those rare paintings has enhanced the prestige of the Parishath. This association between the Parishath and the ace Russian artist may easily be described as one of the most glorious chapters in its history. His views, opinions and philosophy of art were published by the Parishath in a book called ‘Humanism in Art’.
Dr. Svetoslav Roerich passed away on January 30, 1993. Dr. Svetoslav Roerich’s contribution will keep his memory alive, as a true embodiment of aesthetic fervors and indelible union of two cultures, India and Russia.
The Department of Posts honours the memory of Svetoslav Roerich through issue of this commemorative postage stamp.
SAHITYA AKADEMI stamp released on 21 12 2004
Denomination :1500p
Stamps Printed :0.8 Million
Date of Issue :21-12-2004
Theme: Organisations
Sahitya Akademi is not only the premier institution in the country for literary dialogue, publication and promotion but also the only institution in the country that undertakes literary activities in twenty-four languages, including English. Set up in 1954 by the Government of India as a autonomous organization fully financed by the Government, Sahitya Akademi has ceaselessly endeavoured to promote good taste and healthy reading habits, to keep alive the intimate dialogue among the various linguistic and literary zones and groups contributing to the emotional integration of the nation through seminars, lectures, symposia, discussions, readings and performances. The policies and programmes of Sahitya Akademi are decided by its General Council and Executive Board consisting of eminent writers and academics and is assisted by advisory boards in each recognized language. It has an elected President who chairs the various councils and committees and a Secretary as the Chief Executive. The governing and advisory bodies are freshly constituted every five years. The functioning of Sahitya Akademi is totally democratic and decentralized. It has a Head Office in Delhi and offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.
Over 50 years of its dynamic existence, it has published over 4300 books in 22 Indian languages. It publishes two bi-monthly journals - Indian Literature in English and Samkaleen Bharatiya Sahitya in Hindi - which carry translated literary pieces from different languages. It also publishes a half-yearly journal in Sanskrit, Samskrta Pratibha. Sahitya Akademi runs projects for the propagation of tribal-oral literature and translation.
The highest honour conferred by Sahitya Akademi on a writer is by electing him a Fellow. This honour is reserved for the “immortals of literature” and limited to twenty-one at any given time. So far 66 writers have been awarded the Fellowship.
Sahitya Akademi gives awards for creative/critical writing and Translation Prizes in each of the recognized languages every year and has given 850 awards since its inception for original books of outstanding merit and 302 Translation Prizes since 1989 for books of translation. Apart from these awards, the annual Bhasha Samman has also been instituted since 1996 which is given to scholars and writers for their contribution to languages not recognized by the Sahitya Akademi and to Classical and Medieval literature. So far 35 writers and scholars have been honoured with the Bhasha Samman.
Seminars on literary topics at regional, national and international levels as well as literary workshops are also organized to provide a platform to the writers of the different languages for interchange of ideas. It also conducts programmes such as Meet the Author, Men and Books, Through my Window, Asmita, Mulaqat, Kathasandhi, Kavisandhi, Kavi-Anuvadak, Loka: The Many Voices, Antaral and Avishkar. More than 200 such programmes are held every year.
The Sahitya Akademi Library is one of the prominent multilingual Libraries in India and has a wide range of books numbering over 1.27 lakhs in more than 25 Indian and foreign languages. The offices at Bangalore and Kolkata also maintain regional Libraries with sizeable collections.
Under the Archives of Indian Literature Project Sahitya Akademi collects and preserves material connected with writers. So far films on more than 50 writers have been produced and there are several audio and video recordings, photographs and manuscripts.
There is hardly any significant writer or translator in post-Independent India who has not taken part in an Akademi programme or undertaken a project. Sahitya Akademi has built bridges among communities, regions and languages and has provided a meeting ground for writers of diverse attitudes and ideologies.
The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Sahitya Akademi.
BHASKARA SETHUPATHY stamp released on 27 12 2004
Denomination :500p
Stamps Printed :0.6 Million
Date of Issue :27-12-2004
Theme: Personality
The title ‘Sethupathy’, carried by the rulers of Ramanathapuram, means protectors and caretakers of the passage across the sea from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka, built as per the legend, by Lord Rama, and of the Ramlinga Idol. They considered themselves not only the rulers of the State of Ramanathapuram, but also the caretakers of the holy temple in Rameshwaram.
It was in this illustrious dynasty that Bhaskara Sethupathy was born on 3rd November 1868, as the first son of the King Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathy II and Muthathal Naachiyar. He was educated in Madras through both Indian and English systems of education.
On the 3rd of April, 1889, he took over as the Head of the Ramanathapuram State. Bhaskara Sethupathy implemented welfare schemes for the common people and also patronized fine arts. He facilitated the entry of Harijans into the temples and stopped the custom of animal sacrifice in the Rajarajeshwari Temple with the help of Jagatguru Sringeri Sankaracharya Swamigal. He donated more than 401akhs of rupees for religious, educational and public welfare schemes between 1890 to 1893.
King Bhaskara Sethupathy was instrumental in Swami Vivekananda attending the World Religion Conference held in Chicago (USA) in 1893 and made necessary arangements for his visit and stay in the United States of America (USA). On 23rd January 1897, he arranged for a rousing reception for Swami Vivekananda upon his return from the world Religion Conference, and later, also constructed a monument in the place where swamiji landed and inscribed the holy words ‘Satyameva Jayate’ on it in the year 1897. In appreciation of the services rendered by King Bhaskara Sethupathy, Swami Vivekananda conferred the title ‘Raaja Rishi’ (Ascetic King) on him. As an erudite Tamil scholar, he wrote some books in Tamil and also helped his cousin Pandithurai Thevar towards organizing the `Fourth Tamil Sangam’.
The demise of Swami Vivekananda affected him deeply and he went to lead an ascetic life in the `Mutt’ on the banks ofTamirbarani in Kallidaikuruchi, where he spent his time in meditation.
Bhaskara Sethupathy breathed his last on the 27th of December, 1903. Though he lived in this world only for 35 years, he made a lasting impact in the sociocultural canvas during his short life span.
The Department of Posts honours the memory of King Bhaskara Sethupathy through this issue of the commemorative postage stamp.
THE AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITETURE AGRA FORT 2004 stamp released on 28 11 2004
Denomination :1500p , 1500p
Stamps Printed :0.8 Million each
Date of Issue :28-11-2004
Theme: Events-national and international
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established in 1977 by the Aga Khan, the forty-ninth hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Islamic culture as expressed through architecture. Its method is to seek out and recognize examples of architectural excellence, encompassing concerns as varied as contemporary design, social housing, community improvement and development, restoration, reuse, and area conservation, as well as landscaping and environmental issues. Through its efforts, the Award seeks to identify and encourage building concepts as a conscious endeavor to sustain the inheritance of cultural pluralism.
The Award has completed eight cycles of activity since 1977, and the Ninth Award Cycle covers the period from 2002 to 2004. Prizes totaling up to US$ 500,000- constituting the largest and most prestigious architectural award in the world - are presented every three years for projects selected by an independent Master Jury. The 2004 award ceremonies were slated for 27th and 28th November, 2004.
Situated in the heart of the city of Agra, on the west bank of the Yamuna River beside the gardens of the Taj Mahal, the majestic red sandstone Agra Fort is an important Mughal monument of the 16th & 17th centuries, and was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1983. It is one of sixteen World Cultural Heritage sites maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Akbar, the third Mughal emperor began the construction of Agra Fort in 1565. The Fort was ready by 1571, though additions continued to be made until the rule of Akbar’s grandson Shah Jahan. During the time of Akbar, the fort mainly served a military purpose, while during the time of Shah Jahan it served as a palace and court. The Agra Fort is considered as the precursor of the Red Fort at Delhi.
An irregular semicircle, constructed on the foundations of an earlier fortified structure built in brick by the Lodhi Sultans, the Fort’s colossal double walls rise to a height of 20 metres and measures 2.5 km, in circumference. The Fort was built in a crescent shape following the curve of the river, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. The walls were pierced by slits for musketeers. The Fort contains elaborate palaces both in red sandstone and white marble and is surrounded by two moats. The architecture mixes Transoxanian features from Central Asia while drawing on the broader architectural traditions of Gujarat, Malwa and Raj asthan.
To commemorate the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, two postage stamps featuring Agra Fort are being issued. The set of stamps depict Khas Mahal, or Private Palace, built entirely of marble by Shah Jahan in 1637. It overlooks the Angoori Bagh. The enclosure has three riverside pavilions overlooking the Yamuna River, with a fountain opposite the central pavilion. The central pavilion, an airy edifice used by the emperor as a sleeping chamber, has three arches on each side, with five arches on the front facade, and two turrets rising from the roof. It is flanked by two pavilions, Bangla-i Darshan to the north, where Shah Jahan held public audiences for his subjects, and to the south, Bangla-i Jahanara, the pavilion of his daughter Jahanara.
The facade along the eastern wall includes Mussaman Burj or Octagonal Tower, a two-storied pavilion made of delicate marble lattices with ornamental niches from where the ladies of the court could gaze outside without being seen. From here the Taj Mahal, erected by Shah Jahan for his deceased wife could be viewed and this is where Shah Jahan is said to have spent his last few years as the captive of his son Aurangzib. On the southern side of the fort is Amar Singh Gate, one of the two great entrances. This impressive outer gate was added by Shah Jahan and named after the Rajput Maharaja, Amar Singh Rathore.
The Department of Posts commemorates the Ninth Aga Khan Award for Architecture with a set of two stamps on Agra Fort.
9 MADRAS (TRAVANCORE) stamp released on 01.04.2004
Denomination:500p
Stamps Printed: 0.8 Million
Date of Issue: 01-04-2004
Theme: Armed Forces
India has had trade relations with most of the European countries since the times of the Roman Empire. Indian spices, silk, muslin and handloom fabrics were a craze in Europe. The Dutch merchants were lured by the lucrative trade in spices and organized a company of their own in 1602. The Dutch Parliament gave it the right to make war, conclude treaties, acquire territories and build fortresses. Beginning in 1605, the Dutch, primarily interested in spices, captured most of the islands of South-East Asia and by 1658 they captured the Portuguese settlement in Ceylon. Having nearly monopolized the spice trade, they turned their attention to the west coast of India and gradually established their trading centres at Surat, Broach, Cambay and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Nagapatnam in Tamil land, Chinsurah in Bengal, etc. One such trading expedition was sent to Travancore to gain a trading centre.
The trade expedition to Tranvancore in 1741 was led by a young Flemish Officer Captain Eustace de Lenoy. Taking advantage of the then prevailing chaotic situation in Travancore, he assembled his forces at Colachal, a small but important sea port town, to invade Travancore. The invading army was met by Marthanda Verma, the Maharaja of Travancore and his forces (the present 9th Battalion of the Madras Regiment) raised as his Personal Body Guards in 1704 at Padmanabhapuram. In the fierce battle that ensued, Marthanda Verma completely annihilated the superior Dutch Forces and the battle of Colachal was thus a turning point in the military history of Travancore. Captain De Lenoy who was captured, later helped the Maharaja in the training of the Travancore Army on modern lines and was involved in the annexation of numerous small principalities.
The Battalion has been reorganized and redesignated over the past three centuries in consonance with the changing geopolitical scenario without undergoing disbandment or reraising. In 1935, the unit, then known as Travancore Nayar Brigade, was amalgamated with the Indian Army under Indian State Forces Scheme. It was then trained and equipped on War Establishment. Consequently, in the year 1945, the Battalion wass ordered to sail on the warship “AT Taima” for Hongkong under SEAC (South East Asian Command). It landed at Kowloon harbour and was assigned the task of Repatriation of Prisoners of War to Japan and guarding of air fields and sea ports, and was deployed till January, 1947. On 1 April, 1951, the Unit was integrated with the Indian Army and on 1 April, 1954, it merged with the Madras Regiment and was renamed as the 9th Battalion of The Madras Regiment (Travancore). After integration with the Indian Army, the State Forces Colours were laid down at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in 1956 and Shri V.V. Giri, the then President of India, presented new Colours to the Battalion at Wellington on 23 May, 1970.
Post Independence, the Battalion has carried out multifaceted duties - operational as well as in aid to Civil authorities. First of all, the unit participated in the Hyderabad police action in 1948. Thereafter, in the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962, it was deployed in high altitude areas in the Sugar Sector and gave an excellent account of itself in inhospitable terrain. During the 1965 war, the Battalion fought the famous Battle of Barki and played a leading role in the capture of Barka Kalan and Ichhogil Bund for which it was awarded a Vir Chakra and two Sena Medals. It was further decorated for its abundant display of resolution and valour in Nagaland and in the Southern Command in capturing Mahendro Ro Par and Fateh Ro Par on the Gadra City - Umraokot axis.
The Battalion was pressed into action for rescue operations in the flood ravaged districts of Punjab in September, 1988 and undertook anti-poaching operations in Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 1990 to 1994 and was again rewarded for both operations for the meritorious service rendered. During OP Rakshak (1994-98), the Battalion conducted itself with such intrepidity in counter insurgency OPs in the Northern Command that it was decorated with two Shaurya Chakras, three Sena Medals and two Chief of Army Staff and GoC-in-C Commendation Cards each. While OP Meghdoot (2000-2002), saw the Unit deployed on Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) in the glacial heights of Siachen, during OP Parakram (2002), it was operationally deployed in the Northern Command.
Three hundred years of the existence of the 9th Battalion of the Madras Regiment (Travancore) have witnessed a vast and glittering panorama of gallantry and selfless service to the nation. The Department of Posts is proud to commemorate the tercentenary of this glorious Battalion through the release of this commemorative postage stamp that depicts a scene after the historic Battle of Colachal.
NUPEE LAL stamp released on12 12 2004
Denomination :500p
Stamps Printed :0.8 Million
Date of Issue :12-12-2004
Theme: Personality
The Nupee Lal of 1939, or the Women’s Agitation of 1939, is a defining moment in Manipur’s recent history when thousands of Manipuri women raised their voices against the policies of the Imperial British in India and the Manipur State Darbar headed by the Maharaja of Manipur.
The seeds of the agitation were sown in November of 1938 when about 356 members of the public had petitioned the then Maharaja of Manipur, Sir Churachand Singh, to set up a Legislative Council and to nominate the Darbar members from among the members of the Council.
The continuing demands for popular reforms in state administration took a new turn the following year when the price of rice in the state suddenly soared during the harvest season. The people took to the streets to protest against this man-made phenomenon. Thus, the women’s agitation was a direct action in protest against the policy and practice of the foreign traders who were then holding a monopoly in rice trade in the state.
The agitation was also a protest against the imperialist rule in Manipur as well as the regime of the Maharaja who supported the foreign traders, and who was backed by the then imperialist government. The Nupee Lal which started in December 1939 continued till June 1940. The significance of the agitation lay in the administrative reforms that followed. The immediate reforms, other than the stoppage of export of rice from Manipur and the closure of rice mills in the state following the Nupee Lal, were the establishment of a Chief Court in Manipur; the setting up of a Legislative Council in place of the Darbar in 1946-47; the framing and passing of the Manipur State Constitution Act, the Manipur State Election Act and the Election Rules; and the establishment of the Assembly in 1948-49.
On 12th December, hundreds of women demonstrated before the state office insisting that the President of the Darbar should forbid the export of rice. The President of the Darbar said that such an order would require the approval of the Maharaja who was then at Nabadwip. He went with the women demonstrators to the Telegraph Office and telegraphed the Maharaja. The demonstrators kept him there to wait for the Maharaja’s reply. Meanwhile, a detachment of the 4th Assam Rifles cleared the demonstrators, and in the process some women received bayonet injuries and many were imprisoned. The day is observed as Nupee Lal Day in Manipur as a state holiday.
The Department of Posts is happy to issue this postage stamp commemorating Nupee Lal.
BHAGAT PURAN SINGH stamp released on 10 12 2004
Denomination :500p
Stamps Printed :0.45 Million each
Date of Issue :10-12-2004
Theme: Personality
Bhagat Puran Singh was a self - regulated person who made service to humanity his routine task: a man who lived an ordinary life in an extraordinary manner. He cared for the despairing, disabled and destitute with his own hands having no resources required for the purpose. He even sought alms on the streets and outside places of worship, not for himself, but to ask people to help the needy. He had no grants, no aids, no institutions to back him. His faith in God as well as in his fellow beings was unshakable. On the basis of this faith, he went ahead with his mission of building ‘Pingalwara’ which remains a living memorial of his life’s work.
He was born on 4th June 1904 to Chibu Mal and Mehtab Kaur of village Rajewal in Ludhiana district of Punjab and named Ramji Das. He was renamed Puran Singh when he converted to Sikhism during the year 1923. His mother taught him to pick up all harmful objects like thorns, pieces of broken glass, nails, other sharp objects, stones, bricks and such from the lanes and village tracks as they would injure pedestrians, beasts and passersby and laid the foundation of kindness and concern for others in the young Ramji Das.
He started his education from Khanna in Punjab and joined Lahore’s Khalsa High School. He performed “sewa” in Gurdwara Dera Sahib and Gurdwara Shahid Ganj of Lahore where, besides cleaning, cooking and serving food, he also tended to the aged, infirm and sick who came to the Gurdwaras for help. During this period he indulged his other great love - libraries. These store - houses of knowledge, with their immense scope for improving his mind, fascinated him as he was constantly searching for answers to the many philosophical, humanitarian and environmental questions that many intrigued him. His favourites were the Dayal Singh Library and Lala Lajpat Rai’s Dwarka Dass Library, although he visited others too in Lahore. The works he read ranged form John Ruskin, Emerson, Tyson and Thoreau to Mahatma Gandhi. Equally eclectic was the variety of journals he read, finding Gandhi’s weekly, ‘Young India’, of particular interest.
In November 1934, he came upon a four year old boy abandoned near the main gate of Gurudwara Dera Sahib. This boy was dumb, mentally impaired and physically deformed and was suffering from dysentery. Puran Singh looked after him and named him Piara, or the loved one. From that day on they were inseparable for the next 14 years. Puran Singh carried Piara on his back and this became symbolic of his carrying allthe aged, the infirm, the disabled, the crippled and the sick on his shoulders. It was not easy since the helpless boy’s hands and feet were lifeless, and he would constantly drool on Puran Singh.
In the countdown to India’s partition in 1947, twenty men, women and children lived in Gurdwara Dera Sahib. Puran Singh laboured from early dawn to late night to keep them fed, bathed, clothed and medically treated. When not tending them, he was out on the streets of Lahore, trying to raise money for his mission. Bloody events would shatter the calm of this peaceable existence. Lahore was no exception, nor was the Gurdwara Shahid Ganj which was attacked on 13 August 1947. Puran Singh and Piara escaped because they were in Gurdwara Dera Sahib that day.
On August 18, 1947, forty three year old Puran Singh, with Piara on his back, climbed on to a refugee - laden truck headed for safety to Amritsar. He was just one among several million refugees who would cross the border to reach India during those traumatic days. Puran Singh had no family in India since his parents had already expired; nor did he have friends, acquaintances or kinfolk to whom he could turn for help. He carried Piara on his back wherever he went because there was no one to look after Piara. Puran Singh described him as a “Garland Around My Neck”. Born in a region which prides itself on the military prowess of its men, Puran Singh’s steadfastness and unflinching courage in adversities - though of a different order - were no less remarkable.
Bhagat Puran Singh established a home for destitute, called Pingalwara in Amritsar. On 6 March 1957, the All India Pingalwara Society was duly registered with the government. Pingalwara is interpreted in several ways. To some it means a ‘home for the crippled’, to others a ‘home for handicapped’. Indifferent to appearances and trappings, salvaging lives - which were almost lost - was what mattered to Puran Singh. Bhagatji served God through his service to God’s creatures and His creation.
Bhagat Puran Singh died on 5 August, 1992, but his magnificent spirit lives on in Pingalwara. India Post pays rich tribute to his greatness by release of this commemorative stamp. The First Day Cover shows Pingalwara as it was when it began and Bhagatji carrying Piara.