Indian Philately

We are coming across premature issues, varieties in cancellations on same issue some time at different places or at same place. Our readers are pointing out about this issue regularly. Please go through the news and have a nice day !

Special Cover on Impact India Foundation

Date of Issue - 26 April 2008

A special cover dedicating Impact India Foundation 100th Project of the Life line Express- The World's First Hospital on Train was released on 26 April, 2008 at Atgaon, Maharashtra.The cover was issued by Maharashtra Posal circle of India Post. Impact India Foundation was established on 2nd October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.The cover depicts four differnt themes- Organization, Railway, Gandhi & Health. Courtesy-V.K. Sabharwal

Cancellation in two different sizes by same post office

Here is an example of cancellations in two different sizes with different words proivded by the same Post office of Mumbai which is clear from the PIN given on the cancellation. Once again it is amazing that cancellations are prepared so carelessly by India Post. There may be some more instances which might have not been noticed by the average philatelists. Recently I wrote about such cancellations given at two different places but this time it is from the same branch of Post office which clarifies the fact that the post office had catchet seal of two different sizes and with the difference in spelling of the word saburi . It was sharply observed by our distinguished reader Mr. V.K. Sabbharwal of New Delhi. Here is the image for you to observe too.

Working of India Post & Premature Issues - Reactions of philatelists

The rapid appearance of premature issues in India has caused great dissatisfaction among philatelists all over India and Indian philatelists abroad. It is being reported in leading philatelic newsletters and magazines time to time. Here are reactions of some noted Indian philatelists which have been given by Mr. Suraj Jaitly in editorial of recent issue of his magazine ITS Stamp News. Please go through it...

During the last couple of years, The Department of Posts, Govt. of India has been taking ample steps and has been providing sufficient funds for the promotion of Philately – but one wonders, how much of it is spent in the right way. No doubt that we all have been discussing on the same topic in one or the other way, but we do not know when the Deptt. itself will come to understand these facts and try to evaluate their way of working. We all have been noticing a huge increase in pricing of Indian philatelic material in the recent years and we have arrived at a sad conclusion that Philately is no more a hobby; but an investment. This unprecedented increase in price of recent issues is neither good for philatelists nor for philately, but only in favour of sellers and dealers who want to make a huge profit by selling their stocks. And in the end who is responsible for all this? Some say that this increase in prices attracts many new collectors. But to my personal opinion, basically these new-comers are not collectors in the strict sense of the term. They enter in this field only for investment and wish to have good returns. At a later stage, when this balloon of investment would explode, most of the affected persons would be real collectors only and not necessarily the so-called “investors”. We also know that presently philatelic material is sold to dealers in bulk quantities by various Post Offices and philatelists go empty handed! In the same pretext we have seen so many stamps and miniature sheets are available in the market, without being officially released & all these come out in the market from some Post Offices only. Who is responsible for all this and when it is going to end?
On the same issue, Dr. Avinash B Jagtap from Switzerland wrote to me as follows:

“As there is more “Misunderstanding” than “Understanding” as regards New Issues of India. I have personally come to a point that I shall no more collect any New Issues of India. It has become a racket in the hands of some officers at the highest post in INDIA POST and all regional dealers, who do not bother how much damage they have already done to Philately in India. In no other country we witness such a mess as we see at present in India”.

Similarly Dr. S K Sondhi, from USA has described his views as follows:

“For the last couple of years, we have come across number of pre-mature releases of Indian postage stamps and dealers offering them at exorbitant prices. This was never heard of during our younger days. These pre-mature issues are openly advertised on the Internet and I am surprised that so far no legal action has been taken by the Department of Posts. Thus, one is made to believe the involvement of some officials of the postal department”.

Mr. Manik Jain in his recently published, “Phila India Guide Book 2008” has also written some lines on the artificial scarcity of modern Indian stamps, which are as follows:
“With a spurt of certain speculators in the field of Indian Philately a number of items are hedged, amassed and cornered. The artificial scarcity is created and the prices have been escalated for quick profit motive. However we have put the prices (in our catalogue) as we deem fit, as the actual market value. These practices should be discouraged in such innocent hobbies which are supposed to be the perennial source of joy and pleasure to the collectors.”

So, I think, these trends must be stopped at the earliest and for this purpose we need a platform, which can strongly take up such matters with the Department. Yes, at this juncture, suggestions made by respected Shri Dipok Dey of Kolkata for formation a NATIONAL PHILATELIC FEDERATION in a recent issue no. 336 of “Stamps of India Collectors Companion”, come to my mind, which I shall like to share with all of you. These suggestions by Mr. Dey, are not new – perhaps old collectors might remember that similar suggestions were published in one of old issues of “The Northern Philatelist”, published by Northern India Philatelists Association and edited by myself.
Personally I think in the present scenario of India, it is quite complex. Although nothing is impossible, our philatelic Clubs and Societies are working also on the same lines as our political parties are working at present in India. We see that in each and every association, there are certain dissatisfied persons and they always try to dominate in their clubs or societies. From one corner of the North to the South and from the East to the West of our country – there is not a single club or a society at present, which can proudly say that it is working in good spirit and in friendly atmosphere without any dissatisfaction on the part of their members. Philatelic Congress of India is the most prominent example before us, which is struggling at present in the courts of India and every one can easily find such clubs nearby in his or her own town or city.
So there is a need to change our thinking and attitude first, before we think to form any Association or Federation. Until and unless we do not try to work collectively on this burning issue, we may not be able to achieve our goals. I wish very much to have one Association as well, which can work for philately and not for their Office bearers. I wish Happy Stamping to all and hope that every one will treat philately as a hobby only.

-Suraj Jaitly
surajjaitly@gmail.com