Chandigarh philatelist to depict Gandhi’s journey through stamps on his birth anniversary today
Working to showcase Gandhi’s contribution in freedom movement through a story in form of stamps, first-day covers and post cards; exhibition to take place at Gandhi Smarak Bhawan in Sector 16 on October 2
In post-Independence India, Mahatma Gandhi is the individual personality/theme on which the country’s postal department has issued maximum number of stamps.
Such stamps depict the important events associated with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi — from his days in South Africa to his return to India and from his ‘Dandi March’ to India’s freedom.
Taking a route of philately, the collection and study of stamps, Chandigarh-based stamp collectors are trying to educate people, especially the younger generation, about the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in the country’s freedom struggle.
“Philately has a great potential to reach out to the people on any subject. Stamps and post cards are not only facilitators of communication, but they also carry a message and there always are stories and history associated with them. I am using Gandhi’s stamps to reach out to the students to make them aware of his contribution during the pre-independence era,” says one such philatelist Rakesh Wallia, 64, who has been exhibiting Gandhi’s theme since 1986. He has, over years, touched all government schools of Chandigarh several times while promoting philately through Gandhi.
Another stamp collector, Vipan Kumar Thakur, 56, who is an inspector in the income tax department, Chandigarh, is showcasing his collection on Gandhi during a function to mark Gandhi’s birth anniversary at Gandhi Smarak Bhawan in Sector 16 on Friday.
“I have been into stamp collection since my childhood, but my interest in Gandhi grew a decade ago only. I am exhibiting Gandhi’s collection for the last five years,” says Thakur.
“In philately, one frame on a topic requires an exhibit of a minimum 16 A4 size sheet. Through stamps, postcards and first-day covers, I have tried to touch all important aspects of Gandhi’s involvement in the country’s freedom movement. People, especially students, get attracted as they find it a different way of storytelling. Supported mainly by visuals and a little text, it has more recall value,” adds Thakur, who also runs a blog on philately — simplephilatelicclub.blogspot.com
“Our focus is to touch Gandhi’s life through as many mediums as possible. On October 2, we are having a number of events, including a lecture, an artist’s work on Gandhi through salt and Gandhi’s life journey through philately exhibition,” says Devraj Tyagi, director, Gandhi Smarak Bhawan.
Since November 1948, when the Indian postal department issued a set of four stamps on Gandhi for the first time, till last year when the world celebrated Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, India has issued 94 stamps on the great leader.
Out of those 94 stamps, Thakur has around 70 stamps in his collection. “I have got the first set of four stamps issued on Gandhi in 1948 and also have a stamp made of khadi. Apart from that, I have a collection on Rabindranath Tagore,” says Thakur.
Walia has a complete set on Gandhi’s India theme, except for a ₹10 service stamp, which is a rare on Gandhi theme and has approximately 20 stamps in circulation. In 2017, four sets of Gandhi’s service stamps were auctioned for ₹4.7 crore in England. They were bought by an Australian.
“In my Gandhi’s exhibit, I use 67 stamps and other philately material. It is arranged in sequence as his life’s journey moves on,” says Walia.
Chandigarh’s general post office in Sector 17 is, meanwhile, opening its philately bureau on Friday (October 2) to felicitate the stamp lovers.
“The importance of Gandhi and his work can be gauged from the fact that over 87 countries across the world and United Nations Postal Administration have issued stamps on one of the greatest leader. To encourage stamp collection, we are opening our philately bureau tomorrow, so that the interested ones can buy stamps on Gandhi theme,” says Manoj Kumar, senior superintendent of post offices, Chandigarh division.
