Centenary of
India Postage Stamps - 1st October 1954
(Contd...)
Special First Day Cancellation was provided for commemorative stamps, which reads - “INDIA POSTAGE STAMP CENTENARY” in English. It is also found in Hindi. My example are from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, New Delhi, Ootakamund and Rajkot.
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A set of two more Special Cancellation both in Hindi and English was provided to celebrate the International Exhibition, which reads “INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC & POSTAL EXHIBITION” in English and in Hindi. As this cancellation was meant for exhibition, it should have come out from New Delhi only but it is found used also from Calcutta. In my opinion no other post office or city has used this Special Cancellation. There is a spelling mistake in New Delhi cancellation i.e. “INTERNATIONAL” is spelt as “INDERNATIONAL”.
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The above two sets of Special Cancellations were used for just one day i.e., 1st October 1954. Besides this, a set in Hindi and English was also released on 1st October reading - ‘INDIPEX’ from New Delhi only. It is found used from 1st to 18th October 1954, leaving aside the 1st October date, this cancellation is scarce.
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The last Cancellation of the celebration is in Hindi only. It is found used from 1st October to 7th November 1954. It is also very scarce. My examples are dated 3rd, 8th, 24th October and 7th November 1954.
It
was the Empire of India Philatelic Society, Bombay under the veteran Philatelist
Mr. Jal Cooper, who was very much annoyed with the attitude of the Postal
Department. Mr. Jal Cooper not only refused to join the Organising Committee
of the Department but planned to have a separate and independent Stamp Centenary
Exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay from 1st to 7th October 1954. To
popularise this Stamp Centenary Exhibition, three Coloured Gummed Label was
issued in April 1954 by the Society, at a price of Rs.3/- per 100 labels.
The exhibition remained open from 11AM to 8PM. Admission was free. More than
250 frames out of 500 frames were allotted to India section. Pre Stamp Covers,
Early Indian Cancellations and India Used Abroad dominated the show. Essays,
Proofs, Specimens, Scinde Dawks, Lithographs were in highlight. The exhibition
was a great success, because many rarities and gems were on display. No special
cancellation or covers were issued in this exhibition.
The idea of holding a Stamp Centenary Exhibition at Calcutta to celebrate
the Centenary of the First Postage Stamp of India, issued in 1854 from Calcutta,
was mooted on 29th March 1953. After much discussion, it was decided to hold
the exhibition in December 1954, after the Indipex was over, by Mr. N. Bhattacharji,
the acting Secretary on behalf of Calcutta Philatelists.
When preparations for holding the Calcutta Stamp Centenary Exhibition were
on in full swing, it was discovered that a local club wanted to jeopardies
to hold exhibition at Calcutta. But many local philatelists came forward to
strengthen the hands of Mr. N. Bhattacharji. Mr. K. S. Nahar, a one time Calcutta
magnate in stamp business, allowed free use of Kumar Singh Hall at 46 India
Mirror Street, of which he was the managing trustee and which was at one time
the permanent venue of the meeting of West Bengal Congress Committee. The
Postal Department also came forward and sent 32 frames and some exhibits.
The philatelic exhibition, the first of its kind for calcutta city was opened
at Kumar Singh Hall on 28th December 1954, by the Mayor of Calcutta Mr. N.
N. Mookherjee. About 5000 people visited the exhibition, which ran for 11
days. It was closed on 7th January 1955, though there was a great demand for
its extension. The entry fee was 1 anna, which was regulated by issue of a
Dak Label with a design of a ‘Dak runner’ and a reproduction of
4 annas lithographs stamp of India of 1854.
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Special Commemorative Stamps of Centenary of India Postage Stamps are being
found used on date of issue from Pondicherry (a French Territory) and FPO
No.742 (International Control Commission in Vietnam).
The entire story of the stamp exhibitions is taken from pages of - The Philatelic
Journal of India and India’s Stamp Journal for which I am indebted to
them.
Before concluding, I request the readers to search their collections to find
out the dates of ‘INDIPEX’and ‘INDIPEX PO’ in Hindi &
English and report to us so that we can update the records.
A special designed booklet on the Army Postal Service was issued by Army
Head Quarters, which gives a brief but interesting History of Indian Army
Post Offices during the year 1854 - 1954.
Army Postal Service always remained under the control of the Director General
of the Post Offices but after Independence, the APS became a part and partial
of Army Organisation and is affiliated to the Army Service Corps.
Stall No.3 & 4 in the Exhibition were devoted to Army Postal Service.
There is a wall size map of Asia, Africa & Europe showing the operations
of Field and base Post Offices during the last 100 years.
There was a Mobile Field Post office was housed in a lorry, in the open space, outside the Army stalls. FPO cancellations were being provided from the Mobile F.P.O. Now it appears that the cancellation of FPO No.739 was provided from there as a cover dated 4th November 1954 is being found. (FPO 739 was a PO for Indian Custodian Forces in Korea, which was closed down in February 1954)
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Medal of the Exhibition
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Readers are requested to send their query/comments to Mr. Ashok Kumar Bayanwala, 96, Swastik Society,Navarangpura, AHMEDABAD-380009, INDIA or email to Prashant H. Pandya
