Stamps of India Collectors Companion
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December 21, 2000

  • Postal Strike Ends

  • New Stamps Released

  • Philatelic Press Club

  • National Philatelic Museum


POSTAL STRIKE ENDS
Postal strike that began on December 5, 2000 formally ended on the 14th day, although in some parts of the country it ended earlier. It will take some time to restore normalcy in all services.  We received the first post strike mail on December 16. Government of India remained firm during the strike, their stand being to resolve the matter legally. The Supreme Court of India and High Court of Delhi heard the cases.

NEW STAMPS RELEASED
Defense Minister George Fernandes, released the special stamp to mark the 400 years of Kunjali Marakkar, the Admirals of the Zamorin of Calicut under the Maritime Heritage series at a special function at Town Hall, Kozhikode (Calicut) on December 17, 2000. Dr. K K N Kurup, Vice Chancellor of the Calicut University presided over the function. The stamp in the denomination of Rs. 3, the inland letter post rate, depicts ‘paroe’, a small craft used by the Kunjalis during wars.

Sankha Samanta designed the stamp and First day Cover, priced at Rs. 2, and the pictorial first day postmark is designed by Alka Sharma. An informative brochure containing write-up and technical data, priced at Rs. 2, was also brought out on the occasion. Calcutta Security Printers Limited of Kanpur printed the stamp by photo-offset in five colors on matt chromo unwatermarked paper in the quantity of 700,000.

PHILATELIC PRESS CLUB
The formation of the Indian Philatelic Press Club was announced at the WADP Seminar at Calcutta on December 8, 2000. We are pleased to report that the first step of getting founder members together is now over. The Memorandum of Association is ready and the rules are being framed for registering it under the Societies Registration Act as a national organization. The philatelic journalists, editors, authors, and publishers are invited to contact ippc@stampsofindia.com for membership form and details.

NATIONAL PHILATELIC MUSEUM
Flavor of the month at the National Philatelic Museum New Delhi is Maxcards. ‘Indian Maxim Cards’ the exhibit of Ajay Kumar Mittal of New Delhi was put up on December 1, 2000 and shall remain on display till the end of the month. This is the third exhibit to be invited by the museum.