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PRESIDENT RELEASES COMMEMORATIVE POSTAGE STAMPS
New Delhi ~ July 6, 2001
The President Shri K.R.Narayanan released here today a set of four commemorative postage stamps on Syama Prasad Mookerjee, C. Sankaran Nair, U. Kiang Nongbah and Krishna Nath Sarmah. The Minister of Communications Shri Ram Vilas Paswan presented an album to the President. Speaking on the occasion Shri Paswan said that these stamps have been brought out by the Department of Posts (DoP) under its Personality Series : The Spirit of Nationalism. He said that the stamp on Syama Prasad Mookerjee coincides with his birth centenary. The four stamps are in the denomination of Rs.4/-
each.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1901-1953) inherited a rich tradition of nationalism and fearlessness from his illustrious father Sir Asutosh Mookerjee. A brilliant academic he became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University in 1934. He resigned as Finance Minister of Bengal in 1941 in protest against the British policies and continued to oppose the British colonial rule till India attained independence. In independent India
he was part of the first National Government of 1947. He argued strongly for the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India and was arrested while on a campaign in Srinagar in 1953. He died while in custody. He was a nationalist to the core and "Country comes first" was his
watchword.
C. Sankaran Nair (1857-1934) made a mark as an eminent lawyer early in his career and went on to become a Judge of the High Court of Madras
in which capacity he was considered one of the ablest. The British Government recognised his abilities and conferred many distinctions and honours upon him culminating in his nomination to the Viceroy's Council in 1919. Despite his admiration for the British democratic institutions Sankaran Nair was an ardent nationalist who had the courage to speak out for his country.
U. Kiang Nongbah was a great freedom fighter of the Jaintia hills of Meghalaya who lived and fought his epic struggle against the British during the first War of Independence (1857) and after. As he grew up he was consumed by a passion to drive out the foreign invaders from his motherland. Opportunity came his way when he was elected leader of a group of headmen and he went on to lead the war of liberation of Jaintia against the British.
Krishna Nath Sarmah (1887-1947) was a renowned nationalist and social reformer from Assam. Heeding to the call of Mahatma Gandhi he joined the freedom struggle renouncing a flourishing legal practice and a promising career. As one among the founders of the Congress in Assam and with active presence in it at the national level he concentrated on the constructive work and never aspired for any position. He played an active role in the promotion of Khadi and propagation of Hindi in Assam. The First Day Covers alongwith the information sheets will be available on sale at all Philatelic
Bureaux/Counters and at selected Post Offices.
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