APCC decries move to discontinue postage stamps after Indira, Rajiv

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 19: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) staged a dhar in front of Meghdoot Bhavan in the city today in protest against the Centre’s move to discontinue stamps in the me of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

The stamps of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar and Mother Teresa have been retained. Stamps in the me of Homi J Bhabha, JRD Tata, CV Raman and Satyajit Ray have also been discontinued under the new theme. The government is also considering replacing Indira Gandhi from the once best-selling inland letter.

Talking to newsmen there, APCC president Anjan Dutta said: “The BJP-led government at the Centre has taken such a step out of enmity. This decision is not acceptable to us. Late Indira Gandhi and Late Rajiv Gandhi were not the Prime Ministers of the Congress, but the Prime Minister of the tion. By taking such a decision, Prime Minister rendra Modi has exposed his rrow mind set.”

The agitators sent memoranda to the Prime Minister and the Union Communication Minister in protest against the decision through the Chief Post Master General.

The Centre recently defended its move saying that “all those who contributed to the freedom struggle or in the creation of modern India should be honoured. It cannot be the prerogative of one family. The Indira and Rajiv Gandhi stamps were a part of the ‘Builders of Modern India’ theme, which has now been replaced by ‘Makers of India’ to include many more mes”.

It was the Philately Advisory Committee that recommended including more mes. The new series will have 25 stamps, and notable additions to the list are Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rabindrath Tagore and BJP ideologues like Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyay. Eminent musicians and artistes like Bismillah Khan, MS Subbalakshmi and Pandit Jasraj will also get regular use stamps in their mes.