Kuka Movement 2014 India stamp

Satguru Ram Singh was a Sikh philosopher (Indian philosophy) and reformer and the first Indian to use non cooperation and boycott of British merchandise and services as a political weapon.”

Satguru Ram Singh ji, the founder of Namdhari Sikhism, and Kuka Movement was born as the eldest son of Mata Sada Kaur and Jassa Singh on 3 February 1816. He was born into a respected carpenter family, which lived in the village of Raiyan, near Sri Bhaini Sahib, Ludhiana.

The child was named Ram Dhan. Miracles are associated with his birth and childhood. Even as a child he had aspiritual bent of mind.

As a young man, Satguru Ram Singh ji served in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Satguru Ram Singh ji's regiment was called the Regiment of Bhagats as he led a disciplined life and inspired the fellow soldiers to be religious. He was pained by the immoral ways of the soldiers of the Sikh army and was disillusioned with the fall in values of the society. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in1939, the disintegration of the Sikh empire was imminent.

In 1845, After receiving  the  Guru  Mantra from Satguru Balak Singh ji, Ram Singh  followed  his  path and  got  the  name  Satguru  Ram Singh then one fine  day as per  his  guru  guidance, on April 12, 1857,  Baisakhi, an auspicious day in the history of Namdhari Sikhism. On that day, Satguru Ram Singh ji administered amrit to five of his disciples and founded the Namdhari Khalsa. On that day, Satguru Ram Singh ji hoisted a white triangular flag in Sri Bhaini Sahib before a small group of artisans and peasants who formed the core of his Namdhari Khalsa.

Satguru Ram Singh ji named his sect Namdhari as the disciples had to enshrine the Lord's name in their heart and soul. From birth to death, they would live with the naam. Satguru Ram Singh ji knew that only a person of high moral values and principles could sacrifice his life for the cause of the nation and society. He set out to create this ideal Sikh who would be spiritually and morally empowered.

Satguru Ram Singh ji toured the entire Punjab with his disciples, administering naam and amrit to thousands who sought his spiritual guidance. It is said that within ten years from 1857 to 1867, Satguru ji had baptised over seven lakh people. Men, women and children of all ages thronged in thousands to his camp to join the spiritual movement which gave them a unique identity and dignity.

In course of time, Baba Ram Singh became a secular chief of Kukas. He would go about surrounded by horsemen and held his court everyday. He appointed Governors and Deputy Governors to organize Kukas in different districts of the Punjab.

He also inspired young men by giving them military training.The Kuka Movement made the people aware of their serfdom and bondage. It evoked the feelings of self respect and sacrifice for the country. Within a few years, the followers of the Kuka Movement increased manifold. They called for boycott of educational institutions of British and laws established by them. They were rigid in their clothing and wore only hand-spun white attire. The Kuka followers actively propagated the civil disobedience.It seemed inevitable that before long,

January 15. 1872. The Kuka outbreak  was visited by terrible punishment, which was equalled in brutality by few events in our history. A large number of Kuka prisoners were blown to death with cannons and their leader Baba Ram Singh was deported to Rangoon.In 1920, the Kukas started publication of the paper ‘Satyug‘, and in 1922, the daily, ’Kuka’ was started. When the Non–Cooperation Movement was started by Gandhiji, the Kukas joined hands.

Department of Posts released a commemorative postage stamp to highlight the heroic deeds of the unsung heroes of the Kuka Movement.

Issued Date : 24.12.2014  
Denomination : 500 Paise

200 Years Indian Museum, Kolkata 2014 India stamps

The Indian Museum (Kolkata) originated from the Asiatic Society of Bengal which was created by Sir William Jones in 1784. The concept of having a museum arose in 1796 from members of the Asiatic Society as a place where man-made and natural objects could be collected, cared for and displayed. The objective began to look achievable in 1808 when the Society was offered suitable accommodation by the Government of India in the Chowringhee-Park Street area.

The Indian Museum is the largest and oldest museum in India and has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings.* It was founded by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, *in February 2, 1814, The founder curator was Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist.*

The museum, known in the beginning as the “Asiatic Society Museum”, subsequently came to acquire the elevated status of the “Imperial Museum”. The familiar name of course was the “Indian Museum”described by the ordinary visitors as “Jadughar” or a ‘House of Wonders’. Since 1878, at its present edifice, the Indian Museum has been rendering its services to the people of India as a centre of art and culture in India.

It has six sections comprising thirty five galleries of art & cultural to science,  At present, it includes six cultural and  scientific sections, viz. Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, geology, zoology and economic botany, with a number of galleries under each section. Many rare and unique specimens, both Indian and trans-Indian, relating to humanities and natural sciences, are preserved and displayed in the galleries of these sections. the administrative control of the Cultural sections, viz. Art, Archaeology and Anthropology rests with the Board of Trustees under its Directorate, and that of the three other science sections is with the geological survey of India, the zoological survey of India and the Botanical survey of India. The museum Directorate has eight co-ordinating service units: Education, Preservation, publication, presentation, photography, medical, modelling and library. This multipurpose Institution with multidisciplinary activities is being included as an Institute of national importance in the seventh schedule of the Constitution of India. It is one of oldest museums in the world.

At present this is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Department of Posts issued Mainature  sheet comprising of three Commemorative Postage Stamps on Kolkata  Museum.

Issued Date : 02.02.2014
Denomination:500, 2000, 2000 paise

International Year of Crystallography 2014 India stamp

The science that examines the arrangement of atoms in solids. " crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon "cold drop, frozen drop" What is a crystal? - crystalline if the atoms or ions that compose it are arranged in a regular way.

Department of Posts issued A commemorative postage stamp on International Year of Crystallography 

Issued  Date : 30.01.2014
Denomination : 2000 Paise

Mallikarjun Mansur 2014 India

Mallikarjun Bheemarayappa Mansur also know  as  Mallikarjun Mansur was an Indian classical singer of the khyal style in the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana of Hindustani classical music.

He received all three national Padma Awards, the Padma Shri in 1970, Padma Bhushan in 1976, and Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour given Government of India in 1992. In 1982, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama.

Mansur was born on 31 December 1910, at Mansur, a village five km. west of Dharwad, Karnataka.His father, Bheemaraayappa was the village headman, a farmer by occupation and an ardent lover and patron of music. He had four brothers and three sisters. His elder brother Baswaraj owned a theatre troupe, and thus at age nine Mansur did a small role in a play.

Spotting the talent in his son, Mallikarjun's father engaged him to a travelling Yakshagana (Kannada theatre) troupe. The owner of this troupe took a liking to the tender and melodious voice of Mallikarjun and encouraged him to sing different types of compositions during the drama-performances. Hearing one such performance, he was picked up by Pandit Appaya Swamy under whom he had his initial training in Carnatic music. Sometime later, he was introduced to classical Hindustani music under Nilkanth Bua Alurmath of Miraj who belonged to the Gwalior Gharana. The latter brought him to Ustad Alladiya Khan (1855?- 1946), the stalwart and the then patriarch of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, in the late 1920s, who referred him to his elder son, Ustad Manji Khan. Following Manji Khan's untimely death, he came under the tutelage of Ustad Bhurji Khan, the younger son of Ustad Alladiya Khan. This grooming under Bhurji Khan, despite having 20 to 25 popular ragas only, had the most important influence on his style of singing.

Mallikarjun Mansur, who breathed his last on September 12, 1992, was a musical phenomenon. Though he was 82 he sang till his last breath. He almost died in harness. He was down with lung cancer. Just 25 days before death he got up from his sick bed, went to Murughamath, Dharwad, and sang raaga Hemant for15 minutes and a vachana. Even when death was stalking him, he didn’t want to miss his musical devotion. It had been his custom for ever so many years to sing at the mathon the third Monday of the month of Shraavana.

The year before, he was admitted to Kidwai Hospital, Bangalore for serious kidney trouble. It was thought his singing days were over. But he bounced back as if nothing had happened to him. Not only that. He gave forceful concerts all over India. Dr. Talwalkar, treating him at Kidwai Hospital said one day "Panditji, you are cured. Now, you can go home". "Wait a minute, doctor; I have a method of testing whether I am cured". Mallikarjun Mansur asked for a tanpura and started singing on the bed itself. After testing himself for 15 minutes he said, "Yes, doctor, I am well now".

Even in the semi-coma condition he was in, he would ask his son Rajasekhar to sing and guide him as to what he should improve. After he came to, he wouldn’t remember a thing. Dr. Talwalkar was all admiration. "It is literally true that music is in his blood. Were it not for his will to live on for music, no doctor on earth could have saved him". As a mark of gratitude, Mallikarjun Mansur gave a free concert to raise funds for the hospital which had given him a new lease of life. 

Mansur has taken all this with equanimity. ‘‘Does the cuckoo sing expecting somebody to appreciate?’’ he used to quip with a glint 

Department of Post issued commemorated postage stamp on this  legend

Issued Date: 03.09.2014
Denomination: 500 Paise

Baba Amte 2014 India

Murlidhar Devidas Amte, popularly known as Baba Amte was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy.

Baba Amte was born to Mr. Devidas Amte and Mrs. Laxmibai Amte in the city of Hinganghatin Wardha District of Maharashtra on 26 December 1914. It was a wealthy family. His father was a British government officer with responsibilities for district administration and revenue collection.

He came to be known as Baba not because "he was a saint or any such thing, but because his parents addressed him by that name."

He was among eight children of his father.As the eldest son of a wealthy land owner, Murlidhar had an idyllic childhood. By the time he was fourteen, he owned his own gun and hunted boar and deer. When he was old enough to drive, he was given a Singer Sports car with cushions covered with panther skin. He never appreciated the restrictions that prevented him from playing with the 'low-caste' servants' children. "There is a certain callousness in families " he use to say. "They put up strong barriers so as not to see the misery in the world outside and I rebelled against it. "

After obtaining a degree in Law in 1936, he started practicing as an advocate in Warora. Soon after, deeply moved by the poverty and degradation of the peasantry, he began organizing farmers’ cooperatives. He worked as a volunteer at sites affected by disaster as the Quetta earthquake of 1935 and Bengal famine in early 1940s. Influenced by Rabindranath Tagoreand Mahatma Gandhi, he took an active part in the freedom struggle and was sentenced for organizing the lawyers to represent the imprisoned nationalist leaders.

Baba Amte was also influenced by Sane Guruji, a social reformer from  Maharashtra. He renounced his property and gave up the legal practice to set up a Shram Ashram ( Hermitage  of Labour) with the support of his wife,  Sadhana. He worked wholeheartedly to improve the abysmal social and economic conditions of the social outcastes. It was the sight of a person in advanced stages of leprosy which proved to be the turning point in his life and influenced him to take the pledge to work for the care and rehabilitation of leprosy patients.

In 1949, he attended a six month course on leprosy at the CalcuttaSchool of Tropical Medicine. He started treating leprosy patients in 60 villages around Warora by moving across villages on foot. In 1949, Baba Amte founded the Maharogi Sewa Samiti, a registered charity, which remained a medium for his activities.

He set up a commune for leprosy patients, along with his wife, two sons, and six leprosy patients, called the Anandwan or ‘"Forest of Joy" Anandwan soon became the nerve centre of Baba Amte’s relentless crusade, helping leprosy patients become self-confident persons capable of cooperative and creative leadership. Its inhabitants cultivated the land to become self sufficient, and the establishment grew to include a clinic with two hospital wards, primary school for visually impaired, school for hearing and speech impaired, a college of agriculture, and an orphanage.Baba Amte also worked for improving the health of the tribals. With a view to bring about national integration and check communal violence. Baba Amte undertook the Bharat Jodo Yatra in December, 1985 from  Kanyakumari  to Jammu and covered different states reiterating his plea for checking religious fundamentalism, linguistic and territorial bickering and keeping the country above individuals. He also protested against the displacement of people affected by building of the dam across the river  Narmada.

Baba Amte was conferred the Padma Shree in 1971, 

Padma Vibhushan, and the Welfare of the Disabled award in 1986,

Gandhi Peace Prize in 1999.

Baba Amte also received the Damien–Dutton Award in 1983

 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1985.

Baba Amte worked incessantly for welfare of the society till his death on 9th February, 2008.

Department  of  Post also honoured Baba  Amte  with  postage  stamps

Issued  Date: 30.12.2014
Denomination: 500 Paisa

Organ Donation Day India 2014

Organ Donation Day is observed every year on 13th of August. Due to lack of awareness, there are myths and fears in peoples’mind about organ donation. The aim of this day is to motivate normal human beings to pledge to donate organs after death, and to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation.

Organ Donation is donating a donor's organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas, after the donor dies, for the purpose of transplanting them into another person who is in need of an organ.

According to a survey In India every year about:

500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs, 200,000 people die due to liver disease, and 50,000 people die because of heart disease. Moreover, 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get among them.

The organ donor can play a big role in saving others’ life. The organ of the donor can be transplanted to the patient who needs it urgently.

Facts about Organ Donation

Anybody can be an organ donor irrespective of their age, caste, religion, community etc

There is no defined age for donating organs. The decision to donate organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age.Tissues such as cornea, heart valves, skin, and bone can be donated in case of natural death but vital organs such as heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas can be donated only in the case of ‘brain death’.Organs such as the heart, pancreas, liver, kidneys and lungs can be transplanted to those recipients whose organs are failing because it allows many recipients to return to a normal lifestyle.

Anyone younger than age 18 needs to have the agreement of a parent or guardian to be a donor.

·Having a serious condition like actively spreading cancer, HIV, diabetes, kidney disease, or heart disease can prevent you from donating as a living donor.

We people all of communities to come forth and generously donate organs to help the noble cause of saving precious lives.

*NOTTO (National Organ Tissue Transplant Organization) is celebrating 7th Indian Organ Donation Day on 30th November 2016.*

On this day Union we our self  need to take the pledge to donate our organs, thereby saving thousands of lives.

India issued a 5-rupee stamp, 4th November 2014 to honor liver transplantation in India.

The first liver transplant in India occurred 18 years earlier, on  Nov. 15, 1998, at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.

Then the recipient, Sanjay Kandasamy, was 18 months old at the time.

He attended the  stamp  release function

Issued  Date : 04. 11. 2014
Denomination: 5.00 Paisa