Anna Hazare – True follower of Mahatma Gandhi…..

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi

Anna Hazare A Strong Man which is now known as Second Gandhi Of India . Anna Hazare, is the man of the moment - an anti-corruption crusader who is determined to establish the Jan Lokpal Bill that can bring in a strong anti-corruption law in India.This patriot has sculptured himself to fight for the attainment of a peaceful nation.Anna Hazare’s hunger strike, to usher in a corruption-free society - with transparency and accountability as hallmarks, is finding new takers from among the masses every day.The question arises here : does non-violence serve as a mighty tool in the 21st century as well? The evident answer is: sure, it does.

No nation has set a greater symbol like the coercive non-violent protest in India. While the deadliest of weapons might fail to deliver desired results, peaceful non-cooperation from a civilian is known to yield results since the struggle-days of India’s independence. Such quiet yet powerful protests often write new, glorious chapters in the text of history. India’s told and untold experiments with democracy speak loads about the valor of non-violence and Gandhian philosophy.

There’s something so magical about Gandhigiri that though the people who adopt it come from nowhere, they take over the masses with time, cause an emotive storm and simply pull the mighty straight to the ground. Hazare’s call for an unshakeable movement against corruption resonates with various sections of the society.

Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi held the opinion that we may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. Still we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.”

Non violence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding . It is a sword that heals.” Setting an apt example for a world that resorts to conflict and mass destruction to fight for various causes, the Hazare movement is seeking a revolution on the lines of noble reforms and writing a history in which future generations can take pride.

In today’s generation, most of us have not seen Mahatama Gandhi and his way of fighting against the English. However, Anna Hazare has provided us a glimpse of the ‘Freedom Struggle’ through his fight against the ‘Corrupt’ officials of the government including politicians.
Corruption in politics has become a plague across our country, it is draining our resources and demoralizing our nation. This bill would go a long way to deterring those that steal and undermine the public good. India has a proud history of people power overcoming oppression -- today if we all stand with one voice we can fight this corruption that is poisoning our political system.

New Stamp from India…

Date of Issue : 6 July 2011

Today India Post issued a commemorative stamp on Dr. D.S.Kothari, an eminent scientist of India  .

Daulat Singh Kothari, popularly known as D. S. Kothari, was an outstanding scientist. He was a great educationist. His contribution to the entire spectrum of Indian education from elementary school to the university level is well-known. He was a student of Meghnad Saha. Kothari is regarded as the architect of defense science in India. He also played an important role in development of many other organizations, notable along them are the University Grants Commission and the National Council of Education Research and Training. Above all Kothari was an outstanding teacher. He had the moral and intellectual qualities of a rare human being. He devoted his life to the pursuit of knowledge in its widest sense. He was a multifaceted personality—an outstanding teacher, a great educationist, a renowned physicist and a highly successful leader and organizer.

Dr Kothari received several honors and awards. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan in 1962 and Padma Vibhushan in 1973. After his retirement from the Delhi University in 1971, he was appointed Emeritus Professor and he continued to maintain close contact with students and teachers almost till his death on February 4, 1993. In honour of Dr Kothari the Delhi University has established the D. S. Kothari Centre for Science, Ethics and Education. One of the objectives of this centre is to collect technical and non-technical writings of Kothari in book form.

image source : Mansoor B., Mangalore

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Rules for issue of commemorative postage stamps by Department of Posts, Government of India

The commemorative postage stamps issued by the Department of Posts, Govt. of India will be determined based on the following rules:-

1. Commemorative postage stamps will be issued on subjects that have a national or
international stature or have made national/international contribution or impact or reflect national/international areas of concern.

2. The Annual Issue Programme shall reflect regional, cultural and ethnic balance.

3. Stamps on a particular subject shall issue only once, except thematic such as wild life, environment, transport, flora fauna etc. or regular issues like Children’s Day, Season Greetings and sets on heritage, nature, culture, art, architecture etc.

4. Stamps shall be issued only on the apex institutions, not on branches of any institution or organization.

5. There shall be not over 50 issues (maximum 100 stamps) of commemorative stamps per annum.

6. Stamps on personalities shall not exceed 10% of the Annual Issue Programme.

7. The Union Minister incharge of the Ministry of Communications & IT may approve 5% of the Annual Issue Programme.

8. The date of issue shall be fixed by the Philately Division keeping in view the significant dates relating to the subject and the availability of slots in the printing
schedule.

9. Dates of issue once fixed shall not be changed. A proponent may hold a presentation function on any day on or after the date of issue.

10. Proposals may be sent by any citizen of India.

11. Proposals should be sent at least two years in advance for consideration by the Philatelic Advisory Committee (PAC) and approval by the competent authority.

12. Proposals must be submitted in the format available on indiapost.gov.in.

13. Proposals will be considered and recommended/not recommended by the PAC. They
will not be carried forward for the next PAC meeting.

14. Proponents shall follow the protocol for release functions.

15. The Department of Posts will decide the subject matters, prohibited subjects renewal of philatelic products, procedure for proposal consideration and issue/release of a stamp, period of sale of commemorative/special stamps and for definitive stamps and postal stationery. It will also determine issue policy, withdrawal policy and archival policy.

16. The denominations of postage stamps shall be in consonance with domestic and international postal tariffs.

17. The personalities on whom commemorative stamp may be issued should be of national or international importance. The occasion to be commemorated must be the birth centenary or 10th /25th /50th /100th death anniversary. No stamp will be issued sooner than ten years after an individual’s death. A commemorative stamp shall be issued in honour of the head of State on his/her first death anniversary.

18. A stamp on an institution, building, monument etc. may be issued on its centenary/125th anniversary/ 150th anniversary etc. The building, institution to be so honoured must be Heritage site of national/international importance or site recognized by ASI of  national/international importance. Building of regional importance may be commemorated with issue of special cover with special cancellation.

19. At least 25% of the stamps issued in a year will be on popular themes like flora, fauna, culture, heritage etc.

20. Proponents for the stamps relating to institutions/events/large organisations are required to make a mandatory purchase of a minimum number of 1 lakh stamps and
the requisite philatelic ancillaries.

 

The World’s Smallest Postal Service…

 

Hi ! In today’s post just wish to share a wonderful forward with all of you which I recently received from one of my friends….Its related with mini letters…posted  with a magnifying glass for identifying the mailing address.

The World’s Smallest Postal Service was created by San-Francisco- based postmistress 
Lea Redmond, who decided to put the crazy idea into practice as soon as it popped into her head. She just strapped her small desk to her back, hopped on her bicycle and set-up shop in one of the local cafes. Since then she came to realize many other people are simply charmed by her miniature postal service.

At the Worlds Smallest Postal Service, your letters are written in tiny letters, carefully wrapped and sealed with a miniature was-stamp bearing the senders initial. To make sure the tiny messages don't get lost in the traditional mail, they are packed in transparent envelopes equipped with a magnifying glass for identifying the mailing address.

 

For Valentines Day the mailing rates at the Worlds Smallest Postal Service are: $8 plus shipping for letters, and $10 plus shipping for small packages containing an antique china button and a note saying You are as cute as a ....

 

 

New Europa stamps – Year of Forests

 

 

 

 

 

        

         
Date of Issue : 28 April 2011

Here are some new stamps to be issued by Bulgaria and Estonia Post to celebrate International Year of Forests with common theme of Europa 2011 – the year of Forests. The stamps are beautiful and look magnificent !! Bulgaria Post also issues a Miniature sheet with to stamps and two separate sheetlets of each stamp. More new issues of EUROPA 2011 could be seen on this Special Blog . A query from the reader…..given in next section of this Post. Response from the readers will be highly appreciated !! This is all for Today….Till Next Post….Have a Nice Time !

Bulgaria

Estonia

Date of Issue : 28 April 2011

View complete list of Europa 2011stamps on Europa Stamps

Club News

Query from the readers…

Krishnadevaraya MS…..No of copies ???

I have received enquiries from some of our readers regarding the actual number of MS of Krishnadevaraya issued by India Post on 27 January 2011. The information sheet mentions number of copies of stamps but not the number of MS printed. It will be nice if someone could answer this question ….. or the officials of Philately section of India Post could throw some light on this issue….

 

Postage Stamps to go online in 2012

 

 PTI     New Delhi   April 20, 2011

Department of Post is planning to introduce online version of postage stamps, which will enable India Post customers to use print out of the stamp for sending mails.
"Our effort is to make access of postal service easy and simple for users. We are working on project that will enable them to print copy of bar-code based receipt and use it in place of postal stamps for sending mails," Department of Post (DoP) Secretary Radhika Doraiswamy told PTI.
The project is a part of e-commerce initiatives by India Post, she added.
"Our minister (Union Minister for Communications and IT Kapil Sibal) has already inaugurated e-post office and has asked e-market place to be developed. We are in process of developing application for various platforms on internet," she added.

Under the e-market place project, DoP will facilitate selling of small scale and cottage industry products through its website.The product catalogue will be published on internet and will give customers an option to select and make payments for the purchased product online.
Once the order in placed, post-office, located nearest to the product seller's location, will arrange for the pick-up and delivery of the product to the customer."We will accept orders from both domestic and international customers," Doraiswamy said.Doraiswamy mentioned that DoP is contemplating introduction of home pick-up services for mails and parcels for some set of services such as registered post, insured post, speed post and WorldNet. "Customer would have to pay online and register for the service. A postman will then go and pick the parcel or mail from the customer. The plan, however, is currently in a discussion phase," she said.
She added, "We have to ensure that post office gets the payment for delivering services and customers get services conveniently. Everything is being worked out through RFPs (request for proposals), but most of our services will come on internet in 2012," Doraiswamy said.

- Business Today

Smile of the World…..

Date of Issue : 18 April 2011

Polish Post issued on 18 April, a set of six beautiful stamps on smile of the world featuring smiling faces of people of different nations, photographed by Elzbeita Dzikowska. These colorful stamps are wonderful and sure to be liked by one and all as the stamps just make smile everyone !!

SMILE OF THE WORLD ON THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF ELŻBIETA DZIKOWSKA

BEATIFICATION OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

To be issued on 28 April 2011

A souvenir sheet will be issued by Polish Post on 28 April featuring Beatification of Pope John Paul II

Beatification of Pope John Paul II

: Pocztz Polska

Stamp on Tagore from Uruguay….

 

Hi ! Here is a beautiful stamp on Tagore issued by Uruguay during Indipex 2011 and its cover shown below with the poem of Tagore "Aami Prithibir Kabi". Some might have seen the cover but they do not know the story behind it which I wish to share ………

During Indipex 2011 Ururuguay issued a stamp on Rabindranath Tagore. Prior to the issuance of this stamp I received an email from Uruguay Post that they wished to include a small poem by Tagore on the First Day Cover of the stamp and they wanted to know if any permission was required from concerned authorities for copyright publications . I forwardrd that mail to Mr Sekhar Chakrabarty of Kolkatta for an expert opinion. Mr Chakrabarty suggested them to include Tagore’s "Aami Prithibir Kabi" (I am the poet of the world) and advised them that permission is not required for 100 years old publications. It is a matter of great pleasure that this suggestion was materialized and the small poem of Tagore appears on the cover which Mr Sekhar Chakrabarty received from Uruguay (sent by Mr. Malosetti) released on the occasion of issuance of the Tagore stamp on 16 February 2011 which has the words "Aami Prithibir Kabi" and it was originally suggested by Mr Sekhar Chakrabarty.

I am extremely happy that small effort done in this regard resulted in a wonderful cover of the greatest poet of our country “ Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore”. with his beautiful lines "Aami Prithibir Kabi" I express my gratitude to Uruguay Post to honour the greatest poet of our country on commemorative stamp of Ururguay and including his poem on the cover….and many thanks to Mr Sekhar Chakrabarty for his efforts in selecting the most appropriate poem of Tagore and finally suggesting the Uruguay Post to include it on Special Stamp Cover !!

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Stamp Exhibition on Tagore

In celebration of 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India will be organizing a month long Stamp exhibition commencing on May 9, 2011, exclusively on Rabindranath Tagore from the collection of Sekhar Chakrabarti and Moloy Sarkar, at Rabindranath Tagore Centre, Kolkata.

50 years of Amnesty International …

 

 

Date of Issue : 15 March 2011

Luxembourg Post issued a set of three stamps on 15 March to commemorate 50 Years of Amnesty International.

Amnesty International is a movement dedicated to human rights of which independence and impartiality are fundamental principles. On 28 May 1961, the first campaign was launched following the appearance of an article in the Observer titled: “The Forgotten Prisoners”.
In 1977 Amnesty received the Nobel Peace Prize. 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the Amnesty International movement whose first international meeting took place on 22 and 23 July 1961 in Luxembourg-City.

Disgusted by attacks on human rights but driven by hope for a better world, Amnesty International takes action to improve the lives of people by calling for international solidarity. Its members and sympathisers exert influence on governments, political authorities, and intergovernmental organisations.

The association includes more than 3 million members and sympathisers in more than 150 countries and regions.

Amnesty works with and for people around the world so that everyone can enjoy the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

European Year of Volunteering

 

Date of Issue : 15 March 2011 

The European Year of Volunteering aims in a general way to encourage and support, particularly through an exchange of experiences and good practices, the efforts achieved by Member States, regional and local authorities as well as civilians to create favourable conditions for volunteering in the European Union and to increase the visibility of activities in a broad range of volunteering activities.

The European Year has the following objectives:

• 1. To work to put in place a favourable framework for volunteering in the European Union.
• 2. To provide the means for voluntary organisations to act and improve the quality of volunteers.
• 3. To reward and recognise the activities of volunteers.
• 4. To increase public awareness of the value and importance of volunteering.

It is important to stress the importance of this European Year of Volunteering which raises awareness of the contributions and activities of numerous benefactors whose efforts lead to the creation of a more just, more democratic, and more responsible society.

Say Cheese….

 

 

Date of Issue : 25 March 2011 

Poste Italiane   issued a set of four regular stamps in the "Made in Italy" series on 25 March 2011, dedicated to the PDO cheeses: Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Ragusano.

Each stamp shows the dairy product and the stamps are dedicated to: Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, in its characteristic round shape and in the plaited and knotted versions; Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano and Ragusano, both in whole wheels and in wedges and slices. In each of the illustrations, at the bottom on the right is the PDO trademark (Protected Denomination of Origin, DOP in Italian).

Ragusano is a cheese from whole cows' milk, with medium to long ageing, having a block shape and a square cross-section, with rounded corners. It is possible to find slight grooves on the surface from the cords used to hang the cheese during the ageing process. The external color is a straw to golden yellow, tending towards brown with further ageing.

 

Buffalo mozzarella (Italian: mozzarella di bufala) is a mozzarella made from the milk of the domestic water buffalo rather than from cow milk.

 

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas near Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and Mantova, Italy.

 

   

Gorgonzola is a veined Italian blue cheese, made from unskimmed cow's and/or goat's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a 'bite' from its blue veining.

: Poste Italiane 

Club News

INDIPEX –2011 Marklists

Indian exhibitors of INDIPEX 2011 who wish to get detailed marksheet of their exhibit  may write to Mr Rajesh Kumar Bagri, Commissioner General (Hony.) Indipex 2011 at email : rkbagri.indipex2011@gmail.com  

 

Year Book 2011

Mr Madan Middha the publisher of Year Book of Indian Philately needs suggestions from the Readers for Year Book 2011..for which he has started working Readers are requested to send their suggestions about contents of the new edition. Articles are also invited from the readers. Please contact Mr Middia email madan_middha@yahoo.co.in

Year Book 2010

Year Book of Indian Philately 2010 edited and published by Mr Madan Middha is a very informative reference book for all collectors as it contains all necessary data of Indian philately and activities during the year 2010. The previous edition of the Year book has recently won Bronze medal award at INDIPEX 2011 and was awarded a Silver medal at SINE, National Philatelic Exhibition. Besides different data, covering different aspects of Indian Philately .The book contains comprehensive articles by noted philatelists of India which cover various important topics of Philately.

The book contains more than 264 pages with 30 Chapters and it covers stamps, sheetlets, Postmarks/ Cancellations, Events, Baton Relay Covers, Society News, International Exhibitions, Philatelic Periodicals, Current Postal Rates & Philatelic Museums of the world and a variety of informative articles by well known philatelists of India. The book will prove to be useful for all Stamp Lovers. It is an essential reference book which is recommended to all the lovers of Indian philately and philatelists in general.

Price Rs 200 US $ 15 Contact Address : Madan Middha, Saket Vihar, Phalka Bazar, Gwalior 474001.

e mail : madan_middha@yahoo.co.in   Ph. 0 930 110 1244