Cancer Awareness Day 2001 India stamp

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008. The primary goal of the World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer by 2020.

World Cancer Day targets misinformation, raises awareness, and reduces stigma. Multiple initiatives run on World Cancer Day to show support for those affected by cancer. One of these movements is # No Hair Selfie, a global movement to have "hairticipants" shave their heads either physically or virtually to show a symbol of courage for those undergoing cancer treatment. Images of participants are then shared over social media. Local events also take place.

Department  of  Posts  has time and again affirmed its commitment to spread important messages on subjects of interest and relevance to the common man through issue of postage stamps. India Post is happy to release a commemorative postage stamp on Cancer Awareness Day.

Issued Date : 07.11.2001
Denomination : 400 paise

Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir 2001 India

Poet, teacher and leader ... in the truest sense of the word ... Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir was all that and more.

He epitomized a generation of leaders who came into the world of politics as a logical extension of the task they had undertaken when they joined the freedom struggle.

Sardar Gurmukh Singh was Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht for a brief period and also General Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (S.G.P.C.), Amritsar.

Later, along with a number of Akali leaders, he joined the Congress party and was President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and a member of the Congress Working Committee.

*He then served as Chief Minister of Punjab, after almost four terms of five years each as a Member of the Indian Parliament. Later, he went back to Parliament in New Delhi to serve another two terms*.

Gurmukh Singh was the son of Sujan Singh. He was born on January 15, 1899 at Adhval, in Campbellpore district, now in Pakistan. He became a teacher at the age of 19, he passed Honours in Punjabi while in service, and this earned him the title Giani. "Musafir" was a takhallus  (nom-de-plume).

The 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar and the 1921 Nankana Sahib Massacre in which many Sikh pilgrims were killed, left a deep impact on the young man. Thereafter, he became so involved in the Gurdwara Reform Movement that he had to give up his teaching career.

He recited his own patriotic poems at Sikh gatherings. He was imprisoned for his role in the Guru-ka-Bagh agitation in 1922, when Sikhs had launched a peaceful protest against a mahant.

Later that year, he was appointed Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht (March 12, 1930 to March 5, 1931). He also briefly held the post of Secretary, S.G.P.C., and General Secretary, Shiromani Akali Dal.

While we focus on the activist, we must not forget the writer. The renowned Principal Teja Singh once wrote: "With his vast experience, Gurmukh Singh Musafir draws his stories from life itself. He tells about suffering with a pen dipped in blood. And the paper on which he inscribes his tale gets lacerated."

The experience included much incarceration. Gurmukh Singh also courted arrest in the Civil Disobedience program that the Indian National Congress started in 1930.

He was imprisoned from 1939-41 and 1942-45 for his involvement in the Satyagrah and Quit India agitations. The imprisonments took their toll.

His father died when he was in prison. He could not even attend the last rites of an infant son. And his grief at the death of Rajinder Kaur, his 19-year-old daughter, came out in the form of a poignant short story, Baaghi di dhee, which was later made into a film.

In his book on Gurmukh Singh Musafir, the eminent writer Kartar Singh Duggal says: "Gianiji's greatest support in life was his wife (Ranjit Kaur) -  a lady cast in a heroic mould. But for her, he could never have involved himself the way he did in the freedom struggle. She suffered trials and tribulations, but did not wince for a moment. During his repeated absences from home, she looked after the family, and brought up and educated the children the best she could. There were days when there was not enough to eat. There were days when the children had to be removed form their schools for non-payment of fees."

Once, as Gurmukh Singh was being arrested, a bystander taunted him about his duties regarding his wife and children. That very night, in prison, he wrote the moving poem on his wife: Jeendi rahe mere bachian di maan.

He had five sons - Mandev, Parmdev and Sachdev live abroad. Jaidev and Jatinder Dev have passed away.

In 1947, Gurmukh Singh became president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and was made member of the All-India Congress Working Committee, a position he retained for twelve years.

He was elected a member of the Lok Sabha successively in 1952, 1957 and 1962. He did not complete his last term in the Lok Sabha and resigned in 1966 to take over as Chief Minister of the reorganized State of Punjab on November 1, 1966 for a short while.

Musafir re-entered Parliament, this time as a member of the Rajya Sabha 68-74, and for the second term thereafter.

All through his life, he continued writing and his published works include nine collections of poems - Sabar de Ban, Prem Ban, Jivan Pandh, Musafarian, Tutte Khamb, Kav Sunehe, Sahaj Seti, Vakkhra Vakkra Katra Katra and Dur nere; eight of short stories - Vakkhri Duniya, Ahlane de Bol, Kandhan Bol Paian, Satai Janvari, Allah Vale, Gutar, Sabh Achcha, and Sasta Tamasha; and four biographical works - Vekhia Sunia Gandhi, Vekhia Sunya Nehru, Baaghi Jarnail and Vihin Sadi de Shahid.

He represented Indian writers at international conferences at Stockholm in 1954, and at Tokyo in 1961. He was a good speaker, with a considerable stage presence, as a result of which he was much in demand.

Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir died in Delhi on January 18, 1976. He was posthumously decorated with Padma Vibhushan, and his book of short stories, Urwar - Par won the Sahit Akademy Award, again posthumously.

A trust, named after him, was set up in his memory that very year and it has a memorial in the shape of a 260-seat auditorium with a small library and reading room in Sector 24, Chandigarh, Punjab.

The trust also published all his literary works in four volumes in 1999, which marked the centenary of his birth. Department of Posts issued Commemorative postage stamps  on him was issued in 2001.

His only surviving daughter, Sardarni Joginder Kaur Sant, lives in Chandigarh. She is General Secretary of the Trust. She has kept the flame of her father's memory alive.

Issued  Date  27.01.2001
Denomination : 300 Paise

Saint Ravidas 2001 India

Sri Guru Ravidas ji was born of humble parentage at Seer Govardhanapura in Kashi now known as Varanasi, around the 15th century. His parents Shri Santokh Das and Smt. Kalsi Devi were so struck by the divine effulgence of their child when he was born that they named him Ravidas after the Sun–God.Ravidas did not have any formal education. It is said that when his father tried to admit him in a ‘Pathshala’, the child Ravidas did not display any interest in his school lessons as even at that early age, *HE  UNDERSTOOD   THAT TRUE  MEANS  OF  SALVATION  IS  THROUGH  LOVE  OF  GOD  AND  THROUGH  BHAJAN*  and devotional worship. In his early life,

Ravidas was often found in deep meditation for hours together. Ravidas used to collect boys of his age and explained to them the various modes of adoring God.Ravidas inherited the profession of tanning and shoe-making from his father. But, he was content with making only one pair of shoes in a day. He never desired to make more money than was necessary to keep his body and soul together. Often he supplied new shoes free of cost to those who could not afford to pay for them.

Ravidas often spent his earnings in helping the poor and for feeding the sadhu  whom he respected as men of God. Once, when his father sent Ravidas with some shoes to be sold, Ravidas gave away the whole earnings. Such was his devotion to men of God and his compassion for the poor and needy. To divert his attention, his father got him married and settled him separately. Ravidas lived in a humble cottage but carried on his life of faith and devotion and continued his service to the men of God. Ravidas did not believe in idol-worship.

 He emphasised the search for Truth and Realisation of the oneness of God. “To recognise oneself is to reach the Almighty God“, this is what Ravidas preached all his life.His true devotion towards God was the great source of his success. He had to face many ordeals in life. He had to face the  challenge  of orthodox Hindu society which  forbade him to wear a sacred thread, or blow a conch shell during worship or to put on the holy marks on his forehead these being meant for only the high caste Hindus. Ravidas being a  ‘charmkar’ was even denied entry into temples. There are many legends about how Ravidas proved his worthiness and God-possessed  disposition. It is said that when he was brought before the court of Raja Nagar Mal, he cut his shoulder and showed the four sacred  threads that he wore in ‘Satya Yuga, ‘Dwapara Yuga‘, ‘Treta Yuga‘ and ‘Kali Yuga.’ This would not satisfy the orthodox Hindus. Ravidas again performed a miracle by making his ‘sila‘ (a stone used by chamars for making shoes) float on the surface of Ganges,  while  the idols of the pandits went down. Raja Nagar Mal admitted Ravidas’s greatness and became his disciple. He had further trouble when he went to the Ganga  at  Varanasi  at the place called Panch Ganga Ghat to perform the last rites of his parents, who both died the same day.

The public is stated to have objected to the waters of the Ganga reaching them after they were polluted by a chamar. It is said that the river changed its flow at the place to accommodate Ravidas.Mira Bai, the famous saint poetess, had great respect for him. It is said that even Sikandar Lodhi, the Sultan of Delhi  was impressed by the teachings of Ravidas and honoured him with presents. Saint Ravi Das  composedmany shabdas. Out of them about 41 shabdas have been included in the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. His shabdas are packed with divine wisdom and in each of them, he advocates the ‘Ram naam jap‘ and extols the efficacy of this great mantra. In his teachings, he says, “God is everywhere – in you and me,” and insists, “it is time to worship God.” His philosophy was one of surrender to the Lord. He was fully convinced that in Kaliyuga, God’s name was the only remedy  for salvation.Saint Ravidas was a great reformer, a true lover of God and a preacher of saintly disposition, who emphasised the fundamental truth underlying all religions.

Born in most humble surroundings in a so-called low-caste family, he proved that “irrespective of caste and creed, all are equal in the eyes of God and only sinful actions bring bad name and dishonour to a man.” Though the orthodox society was pitched against him, he never swerved from the path of truth and propagated the love of God. He preached love of God and religious harmony as the only panacea for the survival of humanity.

Department of Posts  feels privileged to bring out a special commemorative  stamp in honour and memory of this great saint, and reformer, Sri Guru Ravi Das ji

Issued on 24/06/2001
Denomination 300 Paise

Rao Tula Ram India 2001

Rao Tula Ram

Many of us, who are familiar with India’s capital, must have used the nation’s main international airport, Indira Gandhi International, at some point or the other. En route from the airport to the centre of the capital is a long and famous road, Rao Tula Ram Marg (‘Marg’ being the Hindi for street). Situated on this road is one of New Delhi’s finer higher education institutions, Rao Tula Ram University. All this begs the question, ‘who is this Rao Tula Ram?

Yes  today hopefully *stamp today* followers will  get  the  answer.

Rao Tula Ram was one of the great leaders of the Indian Uprising of 1857 against the colonial British forces. His story is one of rebellion and guerrilla warfare against the stronger and better-equipped imperialist forces of the British Army. 

He was born on 9 December 1825 in the well known Rao family in village Rampura in the district of Rewari (a two-hour drive south-west of New Delhi), in what is now Haryana. His father was Puran and his mother's name was Gyan. He was educated according to the then prevalent customs and he knew Persian, Urdu, Hindi and a small amount of English. In November 1839, Rao Tula Ram ascended the throne on the death of his father.

In 1857, on hearing the news of rebellion at Meerut and other places, the people of the Rewari rose up in revolt. In the Rewari area, lead was given by Rao Tula Ram. His cousin Gopal Dev also stood by him. The forefathers of the Raos had helped the Marathas in 1803 in their fight against the British and as a result when the latter came out successful in the struggle, the British confiscated their land and gave instead an ‘istamarari’, or grant, of about 58 villages. This was a great blow to the Raos which shattered their position and made them unhappy with British Raj.

On l7 May 1857, Rao Tula Ram went to the ‘tehsil’, or headquarters, at Rewari with four to five hundred followers and took all the government buildings in their possession. For their headquarters, they chose Rampura, a small fortified village, one mile south-west of Rewari. Tula Ram, the elder Rao became Raja and Gopal Dev his commander-in-chief. After assuming charge, Rao Tula Ram organized the revenue department and collected revenue and taxes. He took donations and loans from the people of Rewari. He raised a force (about five thousand men) and set up a large workshop in the fort of Rampura where a substantial number of guns, gun-carriages and and ammunition were manufactured. Law and order was enforced; his State was defended from outside attacks.

At this time, Delhi was under attack from the British forces, so Rao Tula Ram helped the emperor Bahadur Shah in their fight against the British. But this help could not protect Delhi which fell to the British on September 20, 1857. Soon after Brigadier-General Showers led out a column (from Delhi) of 1,500 men with a light field battery, 18 two-pounder guns and two small mortars, "to attack and destroy Rao Tula Ram and his follower and to raze his fort (at Rewari)." The situation was serious and the Rao foresaw that a fight with the British forces in the mud fort of Rampura, in the changed circumstances after the fall of Delhi, would result in the complete destruction of his army without any serious loss to the British. So he left his fort before Showers' arrival.

The fort of Rewari was taken without any opposition on October 6th. Immediately after the occupation of the fort of Rewari, Brigadier-General Showers sent a messenger to Tula Ram telling him that if he submitted along with guns and arms, he would be treated on merits. But Tula Ram turned down the inducement. The British authorities at Delhi were alarmed by these developments. They sent a strong column comprising about 1,500 strong under Colonel Gerrard, an officer of conspicuous merit on November 10, 1857. The column reached Rewari three days later. They occupied the abandoned fort of Rampura. Here they were joined by two squadrons of the Carabineers.

After a few days rest at Rewari (Rampura), on November 16, Gerrard marched to Narnaul. As the track was sandy, the column reached Nasibpur, a small village, two miles northwest of Narnaul and halted for a short rest. The rebel force, having abandoned their strong fort in the center of the town pounced on them. Rao Tula Ram's first charge was irresistible and the British forces scattered before them. The Patiala Infantry and the Multani Horse on the British side were completely disheartened. But at this juncture, the Guides and the Carabineers came to their rescue and saved the situation. The English fire, especially of the artillery was too much for the rebels. But soon the situation took an unexpected turn when Col. Gerrand was mortally wounded by a musket ball.

With this, the British too, were demoralized. Taking full advantage of the circumstances, Rao Tula Ram swooped down upon them. The British could not stand the charge and the Multani Horse fled away in bewilderment. They recaptured their guns and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. The right and the left wings of the British forces were thrown into confusion.

Appreciating the gravity of the situation Major Caulfield, the officiating British Commandant, ordered his artillery to start heavy bombardment and his cavalry and infantrymen to charge straight on with full force in to their front ranks. Rao Tula Ram’s forces fought back furiously and stood their grounds. The British artillery fire, nevertheless, broke their backbone and split their forces into two parts - one engaged in the close quarter battle and the other fleeing to go out of the range of the British guns. Rao Tula Ram was defeated that day but luckily managed to flee to safety. His escape frustrated the British.

The battle of Narnaul was undoubtedly one of the most decisive battles of the Uprising of 1857. The English felt jubilant over their success in this confrontation, for it marked the ‘beginning of the end’ of the crucial period of the struggle in the Haryana region and northern Rajasthan. After the battle, Rao Tula Ram moved into Rajasthan; then joined Tantya Tope's forces for one year. On 1 November 1858, the British issued the promises of unconditional pardon and amnesty to all offences against the British to all except those who directly or indirectly took part in the murder of British subjects. With the blood of many British soldiers and subjects on his hands, he left India for Iran in 1862. 

This proved a wise decision - once the uprising of 1857 was over, the wrath of the British was unleashed. People in the Rewari and Narnaul areas were hung or shot dead and their villages burnt. In Iran, he plotted revenge against the British. From Iran he travelled to Afghanistan, where tragically, in the winter of 1862, he died of dysentery in Kabul at the young age of 38.

Rao Tula Ram of Rewari was one of the most important leaders of the uprising of 1857 in northern India. He raised the flag of revolt against the British on 17 May 1857 and kept it fluttering, through thick and thin, till his last breath. He not only obliterated every vestige of the British rule from southwest Haryana but also helped the rebel forces fighting in the historic city of Delhi 

Issued  Date : 23.09.2001 
Denomination: 400 Paisa