STAMP COLLECTING-POST INDEPENDENCE INDIA-1999-IV

1999-Part4

THIS IS MY 74th HUB ON POST-INDEPENDENT INDIA

STAMP SERIES.THIS COVERS THE STAMPS RELEASED

IN 1999.This is the fourth part of the year.This contains the stamps released in October

Endangered Species:Asiatic Lion(Panthera leo persica)

Asiatic Lion is one of the seven sub-species of lions on this planet. Its scientific name is "Panthera Leo Persica". Gir, popular name for part of Gujarat in India is the only place where this magnificent animal is found today.

Asiatic lions feed on wild pigs, cattle, antelope and deer in the wild. Present population of Asiatic Lion is 359 and is increasing every year because of conservation efforts of local people and Government of Gujarat..

Stamp Issue Date : 14/10/1999 Postage Stamp Dinominations : 300,300,300,and1500 Postal Stamp Serial Number : 1867,1868,1869,and 1870Postal Stamp Name :

Endangered Species:Asiatic Lion(Panthera leo persica)

Stamp Currency : P Stamp Type : COMMEMORATIVE Stamp Language :English

India's March Towards Progress

A.D.Shroff (Economist & Industrial)

Ardeshir Darabshaw Shroff (1899-1965), eminent industrialist, banker and economist, is considered one of the architects of free Indias industrial development and modernization. Among the earliest exponents of free enterprise in India, Shroff, once called a Congress economist, represented the country as a non-official delegate at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference and was an author of the Bombay Plan, prepared by eight leading industrialists in 1944 as a blueprint for Indias post-war economy. Later, in the fifties, as founder-director of the Investment Corporation of India, Chairman of Bank of India and the New India Assurance Company, and director of Tatas and many other leading companies, he became a powerful spokesman for private industry in an increasingly government regulated economy. His steadfast adherence to a vision of free enterprise in India has been vindicated thirty-five years later by the liberalization policies pursued in the nineties. This authorized biography by Sucheta Dalal draws upon the personal papers of A.D. Shroff, the Tata Central Archives, the papers and libraries of the Bank of India, HDFC, and several other institutions with which he was associated. Based on these sources and interviews with industrialists, Shroffs colleagues, family members and close friends, Dalal has presented a compelling portrait of Shroff whom J.R.D. Tata once described as a man with an extremely powerful mind and moral courage. As a true patriot, Shroff was a trenchant critic of official policies, like the nationalization of insurance, which he felt were contrary to the nations interests. His lone battle for free enterprise from the platform of the newly founded Forum of Free Enterprise in 1956, despite resistance from some quarters of private industry and great opposition from the governmental quarters, is seen as a measure of his fearless and independent nature. While tracking Shroffs phenomenal professional care.

A.B.Walawalkar (Railway Engineer,Father of Konkan Railway)

Born on December 27,1897, and hailing from village Walawal in Kudal Tahsil of Sindhudurg District in Maharashtra , Shri Arjun Balwant Walawalkar joined Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (presently Western Railway) in its Drawing Department in 1922. He was the visionary who dreamt and conceived Konkan Railway Project and his detailed proposal was ready as far back as 1952 when he published a booklet entitled 'Konkan Railway Project'.

While formulating the scheme, Shri Walawalkar undertook intensive and extensive tours in the Konkan Region and worked ceaselessly and tirelessly in propagating the scheme and enlisting popular support for it. He wrote a number of articles in the newspapers, organised conferences, seminars and exhibitions, called on the successive Railway Ministers and Chief Ministers of the concerned States. Even public ridicules and criticisms did not deter him from his dream project.

On December 23,1970, Shri Walawalkar breathed his last but not before bringing his dream project within the realm of realization. Now his dream has come true as a broad gauge superfast link between Mumbai and Mangalore- Konkan Railway is the biggest new railway line construction undertaken on the Indian sub-continent in the present century. This 760km-long broad gauge line passes through the most difficult terrains and involves 180 major bridges, over 1600 minor bridges and tunneling for a total length of 84 kms. The project took a little over seven years and was commissioned on January 26, 1998 The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, released a commemorative postage stamp in honour of late Shri Arjun Balwant Walawalkar, who has been described as 'father of the Konkan Railway Project'.

Chhagnlal K.Parekh (Social Reformer)

The women borrowed Rs 80 from Chaganlal Karamsi Parekh, a member of the Servants of India Society and a social worker . They took over a loss-making papad making venture by one Laxmidasbhai    ,and bought the necessary ingredients and the basic infrastructure required to manufacture papads. On March 15, 1959, they gathered on the terrace of their building and started with the production of 4 packets of Papads. They started selling the papads to a known merchant in Bhuleshwar. From the beginning, the women had decided that they would not approach anyone for donations or help, even if the organization incurred losses.

Chaganlal Karamsi Parekh, popularly known as Chaganbapa, became their guide. Initially, the women were making two different qualities of papads, in order to sell the inferior one at a cheaper rate. Chaganbapa advised them to make a standard papad and asked them never to compromise on quality. He emphasized to them the importance of running it as a business enterprise and maintaining proper accounts.

Dr.T.A.Pai

Manipal is home to the Manipal University, comprising of educational institutions, including the Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Institute of Computer Education, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal (KMC, Manipal) , [Department of Commerce, BBM e-banking & Finance], Manipal Institute of Communication, MIM Manipal Institute of Management, Manipal Center for Information Science (MCIS Manipal), the T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal Life Sciences Center (MLSC), the Manipal campus of Melaka Manipal Medical College (also known as International Centre for Health Sciences or ICHS), the Manipal College Of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS) , the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA)and Dr. T.M.A. Pai Polytechnic.

The town gained prominence in the 1950s, when Dr.T.M.A. Pai, doctor, banker, educator, industrialist and philanthropist transformed a barren hillock into a university town.

Stamps Issue Date : 09/10/1999 Postage Stamp Dinomination : 300,300,300 and 300 Postal Stamp Serial Number : 1871,1872,1873, and 1874. Postal Stamp Name :

India's March Towards Progress

Stamp Currency : P Stamp Type : COMMEMORATIVE Stamp Language :English

125th Anniversary of Universal postal Union

On October 9, 1874 the Treaty of Berne, establishing the "General Postal Union" was signed by the representatives of twenty two nations. The Treaty of Berne unified a conflicting international maze of postal services and regulations into a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of letter post items. Within the single postal territory the freedom of transit of letter post item was guaranteed and multitude of rates for mail were reduced to a single rate.
Membership in the Union grew so quickly that the name was changed to the Universal Postal Union in 1878. The UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations on July 1, 1948.

On the occation of 125th Anniversary Indian Postage released four stamps on

Traditional Indian Arts & Craft

1) Four headed Mask for Chhau Dance-West Bengal & Bihar.

2)A Myth of Creation -painting of Rathwa Tribe

3)Fertility Ring of Muria Tribe, Bastar, Madhya Pradesh. and

4) Necklace of Conch shell of Angami Tribe-Nagaland.

Stamp Issue Date : 09/10/1999 Postage Stamp Dinominations : 300,300,300 and1500 Postal Stamp Serial Number : 1874,1875,1876,and 1977Postal Stamp Name :

125th Anniversary of Universal postal Union-Traditional Indian Arts & Craft

Stamp Currency : P Stamp Type : COMMEMORATIVE Stamp Language :English

Death Bicentenary of Veerpandia Kattabomman(Ruler of Panchalankuruchi Martyr)

Veerapandiya Kattabomman also known as Kattabomman fought against the British. He was an 18th century Indian polygar chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu who belonged to Telugu speaking Balija caste.His ancestors migrated from areas in present day Karnataka like Bellary during the Vijayanagar period.Kattabomma Naicker was one of the earliest to oppose British rule. He waged a war with the British six decades before Indian War of Independence which occurred in 1857 in Northern parts of India. After a bloody war with the British he was captured by the British and was hanged in 1799 CE. His fort was destroyed and his wealth was looted by the British army. Today Panchalankurichi is a historically important place in the present day Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu state, India.

Early life

Veerapandiya Kattabomman was born to Jagaveera Kattabomman and Arumugattammal on January 3, 1760. He had two younger brothers Dalavai Kumarasami and Duraisingam. Veerapandiyan was fondly called ‘Karuthaiah’ (the black prince) and Dalavai Kumarasami was nicknamed ‘Sevathaiah’ (the white prince) and since Duraisingam was a good orator he was nicknamed ‘Oomaithurai’ meaning the dumb (speech impaired) Prince. The name could be attributed as VEERAM in Tamil means Bravery and Veerajakkadevi a Hindu God worshiped by his family.

Ancestors

Azhagiya Veerapandiapuram (Ottapidaram of today) was ruled by Jagaveera Pandiyan. He had a minister Bommu, also a brave warrior, who had migrated from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu during the Vijaynagar times. He was known as Gettibommulu in Telugu after the god Sastha Ayyanam Swamy to describe his strength and fighting qualities which over a period of time, became Kattabomman in Tamil. Kattabomman ascended the throne after Jagaveera Pandiyan, who had no issue, as Adi Kattabomman, the first of the clan of Kattabomman.

Panchalankurichi

Legend has it that during a hunting trip into the forests of Salikulam (close to Azhagiya Pandiyapuram) one of the Kattabommans was amazed to see a hare chasing seven hounds. Believing that the land possessed the power to instil courage in his people, he built his fort there and named it Panchalankurichi.

On February 2, 1790, Veerapandiyan, 30, became the king of Panchalankurichi as Veera Pandia Kattabomman supposedly the 47th ruler of the region and the 5th ruler from the Kattabomman clan and a Palya-karrar (or Polygar) of the Madurai Nayak kingdom.

Role of Palayakkarars

Following its collapse in the mid-16th century, the Tamil governors of the Vijayanagara Empire broke away from the empire and established independent kingdoms. The old Pandiya country came to be governed by Naicker rulers in Madurai, who in turn divided their territories into 72 Palayams. These 72 Palayams were franchised to Palayakarrars (Tamil word) or Polygars or Poligars (a British Term), who had to administer their territories, collect taxes, run the local judiciary, and maintain a battalion of troops on behalf of the Naicker rulers of Madurai. Their function was a mixture of military governance and civil administration.

The regional/local chieftains and rulers who were earlier subordinates to the Madurai Kings became Polygars (or Palaya-karrar).and veerapandiya kattabomman collected taxes from lousington

Dispute origins

The Nayak rule in Madurai which controlled the entire West Tamil Nadu after two centuries came to an abrupt end in 1736 when Chanda Sahib of Arcot seized the Madurai throne from the last queen of Madurai in an act of treason. Chanda Sahib was later killed after the Carnatic Wars and the territory came under the Nawab of Arcot. The Palaya-karrars of the old Madurai country refused to recognize the new Muslim rulers driving the Nawab of Arcot to bankruptcy, who also indulged in lavishes like building palaces before sustaining his authority in the region.

Finally the Nawab resorted to borrowing huge sums from the British East India Company, erupting as a scandal in the British Parliament. The Nawab of Arcot finally gave the British the right to collect taxes and levies from the southern region in lieu of the money he had borrowed. The East India Company took advantage of the situation and plundered all the wealth of the people in the name of tax collection. They even leased the country in 1750’s to a savage warrior Muhammed Yusuf Khan (alias Marutha Nayagam), who defeated and killed many of the Polygars and later got himself killed by the Arcot - British forces.

Many of the Polygars submitted, with the exception of Katta-bomman and a few others who formed an alliance with the Maruthu Brothers of Sivagangai.

Major Events

Kattabomman refused to pay his dues and for a long time refused to meet Jackson Durai the Collector of the East India Company. Finally, he met Jackson at Ramalinga Vilasam, the palace of Sethupathi of Ramanathapuram. The meeting turned violent and ended in a skirmish in which the Deputy Commandant of the Company’s forces, Clarke was slain. Kattabomman and his men fought their way to freedom and safety, but Thanapathi Pillai, Kattabomman’s secretary was taken prisoner.

The Commission of Enquiry that went into the incident fixed the blame on Jackson and relieved him of his post, thinking the Company’s plan to take over the entire country gradually could be marred by Jackson’s fight with Veerapandiya Kattabomman.

The new Collector of Tirunelveli wrote to Kattabomman calling him for a meeting on 16 March 1799. Kattabomman wrote back citing the extreme drought conditions for the delay in the payment of dues and also demanded that all that was robbed off him at Ramanathapuram be restored to him. The Collector wanted the ruling house of Sethupathis to prevent Kattabomman from aligning himself with the enemies of the Company and decided to attack Kattabomman.

The British also instigated his long time feuding neighbor Ettayapuram Poligar to make provocative wars over Kattabomman on their long pending territorial disputes.

War against English

Kattabomman refused to meet the Collector and a fight broke out. Under Major Bannerman, the army stood at all the four entrances of Panchalankurichi’s fort. At the southern end, Lieutenant Collins was on the attack. When the fort’s southern doors opened, Kattabomman and his forces audaciously attacked the corps stationed at the back of his fort, and slew their commander Lt. Collins.

The British after suffering heavy losses, decided to wait for reinforcements and heavy artillery from Palayamkottai. Sensing that his fort could not survive a barrage from heavy cannons, Kattabomman left the fort that night.

A price was set on Kattabomman’s head. Thanapathi Pillai and 16 others were taken prisoners. Thanapathi Pillai was executed and his head perched on a bamboo pole was displayed at Panchalankurichi to demoralise the fighters. Soundra Pandian Nayak, another rebel leader, was brutally done to death by having his head dashed against a village wall.

Capture and Sentence

Veerapandiya Kattabomman hid in so many places including Thirumayam, Virachilai and finally stayed at Kolarpatti at Rajagopala Naicker’s house where the forces surrounded the house. Kattabomman and his aides fled from there and took refuge in the Thirukalambur forests close to Pudukkottai. Bannerman ordered the Raja of Pudukkottai to arrest Kattabomman. Accordingly, Kattabomman was captured and on October 16, 1799 the case was taken up (nearly three weeks after his arrest near Pudukkottai).

After a summary trial, Kattabomman was hanged unceremoniously on a Tamarind tree in Kayathar (near Thirunelveli).

Veeran Sundaralingam was a general of the Poligar Veerapandiya Kattabomman in his fight against the British East India Company.According to a majority of the accepted historical accounts, he was killed in 1799, while fighting for Kattabomman during the First Polygar War. Another view is that he was killed in the Second Polygar War (1800-1) while assisting Kattabomman's younger brother Oomaithurai.

Some of the other noteworthy persons who were hanged along with Kattabomman were Veeraghechayan Naicker, Dali Ethalappa Naicker and Palayakarrars of Kaadalkudi, Nagalapuram Puthur, Vripachy, Sivagangai, to death by hanging on charges of treason.

Aftermath

The Fort of Panchalankurichi was razed to the ground and all of Kattabomman’s wealth was looted by the English soldiers. Few years later, after the second Polygar war, the site of the captured fort was ploughed up and sowed with castor oil and salt so that it should never again be inhabited by the orders of the colonial government.

Legend and folklore

In subsequent years, a good deal of legend and folklore developed around Kattabomman and the Marudu Brothers. Kayatharu, where Kattabomman was executed has remained a place of political pilgrimage.

In his Tinnevelly Gazetteer of 1917, H. R. Pate notes the presence, in Kayatharu, of "a great pile of stones of all sizes, which represents the accumulated offerings by wayfarers of the past hundred years. Folk songs recalling the heroism of the Poligar leaders remain alive in Tamil Nadu to this day..."

The popular Tamil slang for a traitor or committing treason is Ettapa or Ettapan, courtesy the Ettayapuram Polygar whom the British later conferred the title of Raja. But it is disputed that Ettapan committed treason Kattabomman was arrested by King of Pudukottai. The Campa Cola ground in Chennai belongs/belonged to Ettappan family. Lately there is cry that unfair portrayal of Ettappan in the film Kattabomman in which actor Sivaji Ganesan gave a great performance, is the main cause for this. It seems that Ma.Po.Si(Ma.Po.Sivanyanam) who wrote the dialogues for the film had some misunderstanding with the Ettappan family.

Stamp Issue Date : 16/10/1999 Postage Stamp Dinomination : 3.00 Postal Stamp Serial Number : 1879ostal Stamp Name :

Death Bicentenary of Veerpandia Kattabomman(Ruler of Panchalankuruchi Martyr)

Stamp Currency : P Stamp Type : COMMEMORATIVE Stamp Language :English

Modern Masters of Indian Classical Music

Ustad Allauddin Khan Saheb

he first forty years of Baba's life were full of adventure, and he underwent many unusual, almost unbelievable, experiences through his intense love of music. Baba was never clear about how long he was with these musicians or how much time he spent in Dacca, but he says that he arrived in Calcutta when he was about fourteen or fifteen. I remember his tell- ing me about the hardships he suffered there.

He went to one of the most famous Bengali singers of the day, Nulo Gopal, a very devout and orthodox Hindu. Baba instinctively thought it might be better if he said he was a Hindu himself when he approached this teacher, so he took a Hindu name. Nulo Gopal saw the tremendous ardor and talent for singing this boy had, but he warned Baba that he himself had learned music in a very old, traditional style and said that he would teach Baba only if Baba had the pa- tience to learn in the same way. That is, Baba would have to learn and practice nothing other than the sargams, palta, and murchhana (solfeggio, scales, and exercises) for twelve full years.

Only then would Nulo Gopal start teaching all the traditional compo- sitions. This, he said, would not take a very long time, because Baba would already have a firm background! Baba did agree to the arrangement, and arduously de- voted himself to his study, but unfortunately, after only seven years or so, Nulo Gopal died.

Baba was so grieved by his death that, out of respect to his teacher, he took an oath never to take up singing as his profession. According to Baba, the excellent training he received from this guru in those seven years caused his musical sensitivity to grow to such a degree that he could notate in his mind as well as on paper any music he heard. This ability was to prove very helpful to him later.

During the seven years Baba was learning with Nulo Gopal, he took a job at the Star Theatre (run by Girish Ghosh, the father of Bengali drama) as a tabla player in the orchestra to make a little money, and he had some training in the playing of the violin from an outstanding Indian Christian teacher. Baba also participated in the frequent orchestral parties held by a prominent composer, Habu Dutt, who was the brother of the famed Swami Vivekananda. Habu Dutt had studied both Eastern and Western music and maintained an orchestra for which he composed in raga and tala framework; he used all the Western instruments as well as a few Indian ones. This later inspired Baba to create his own ensemble, the Maihar Band, which was quite famous for many years.

It was often frightening just to hear Baba talk about the hardships he suffered as a young man in Calcutta. The little pay he received at the Star Thea- tre and occasional extra income he got by playing a recital here or there all went to pay for gifts or offer- ings he brought to his teachers-fruits or sweets-in gratitude for their giving him lessons. Most of the time he had his one meal a day at some anna chhatra, a food dispensary provided for the poor by some rich families. (Until very recently, these existed in all the large cities as a common form of charity.) The rest of the day Baba either went hungry or nibbled at a handful of chick peas and drank the water of the river Ganges. He had no one particular place to stay. Sometimes he took a room in a cheap boarding- house, and other times he stayed in the stable of a wealthy family.

When he was in his twenties, Baba went to a city called Muktagacha, then in eastern Bengal, now in East Pakistan. It was here, at the court of Raja Jagat Kishore, that he heard the celebrated sarod player of the time, Ustad Ahmad Ali, and for the first time, he experienced the full effect of the musician and the beauty of the music. In his studies under Nulo Gopal, Baba had felt he was approaching the field of strict classical music, but when his guru died, he thought he had reached only the threshold of the musical sanctuary. He realized he needed another good teacher to elevate him to a higher level in his playing and understanding. So, he decided just then, in the Raja's court, that he must take this musician as his guru and learn to play the sarod. Baba's burning desire to learn and a recommendation from the Raja per- suaded Ahmad Ali to accept the boy as his disciple. When Baba began learning from Ahmad Ali, he gave up all his old dilettante musical interests and devoted himself solely to the sarod. The next four years or so were spent living and traveling with his ustad, serving him in every way, even cooking, and learning and practicing music as much as he could.

After some time, Ahmad Ali left the court and traveled to his home, the city of Rampur, taking Baba with him. By this time, Baba had learned a great deal of the art and technique of the sarod and had ab- sorbed most of the knowledge of his ustad. Some- how, he felt that Ahmad Ali was a bit apprehensive about Baba's proficiency and was afraid that Baba might outdo him as a musician. One day, it happened that his guru called Baba and said that he had given him enough taleem (training) and praised him for achieving a fine standard of musicianship. Now, he said, it is time for you to go out and perform, and establish your own reputation, following the tradi- tion of sikkha, dikkha, and parikkha (derivations from the original Sanskrit of shiksha, diksha, and pariksha, which mean training, initiation, and evalua- tion).

Since Rampur was the most important seat of Hin- dustani classical music, Baba was overjoyed when he learned there were almost five hundred musicians who belonged to the court of His Highness the Nawab of Rampur. Out of these, at least fifty ranked among the foremost artists and were famed throughout India. They included singers of dhrupad, dhamar, khyal, tappa, and thumri, as well as players of been, sursringar, rabab, surbahar, sitar, sarangi, shahnai, tabla, pakhawaj, and many other instruments. At the head of all these musicians was the truly great Wazir Khan himself, a member of the Beenkar gharana, and thus of the family of Tan Sen. He was the guru of the Nawab and, in his seat next to the Nawab's throne, enjoyed a position that was unique at that time. After taking leave of Ustad Ahmad Ali, Baba went on a kind of musical "binge," and he met all the ustads and studied a little with a great many of them for a year or so. He was completely intoxicated with the ecstasy of meeting all these great musicians. After Baba settled down a bit, he decided he must finally go to learn from the greatest musician of them all, and the one about whom he had heard so many stories - Wazir Khan.

A GESTURE IN DESPERATION

Ustad Wazir Khan, a direct descendant of Tan Sen, was the greatest living been player of the time. Filled with enthusiasm and bubbling with hope, Baba went off to meet him, but the sentries who guarded Ustad Wazir Khan's gates, frowning at the young man's shabby dress and poor appearance, denied him entrance. In despair, young Allauddin Khan rather melodramatically decided that he would either learn from this great master or give up his life. Nour- ishing these severe thoughts, he bought two tola weight of opium with which to kill himself if neces- sary. But fortunately, he met a mullah (Muslim priest), who dissuaded him from such extreme meas- ures and suggested another plan.

The mullah composed a letter in Urdu on behalf of the young aspirant, explaining how he had come all the way from Bengal especially to learn from Ustad Wazir Khan, and if that were to prove impos- sible, he would swallow a lump of opium and end his life. But there remained the problem of present- ing the letter to the Nawab. While the spirit of des- peration was mounting, young Allauddin happened to hear that the Nawab would soon be on his way to the theater, so he stationed himself on the road, hours ahead, and as the Nawab's vehicle finally ap- proached, he threw himself down in front of it.

The police dragged young Allauddin Khan away to face the Nawab, who, when he heard the whole story, was so impressed by the fervor of a young man ready to use such grave methods that he called him to the palace to play for him.

Baba gave a very impressive performance on the sarod and on the violin, and then was asked if he could handle any other instruments. The Nawab was quite amused when Baba, replying, boasted that he could play any instrument available in the palace. So, all the instruments were brought out and, to the astonishment of everyone present, he did just that - one by one, he played them all, and quite deftly, too ! The Nawab asked him if he had any other talents, and Baba said that he could write anything played or sung. The Nawab was overwhelmed when Baba did this easily on the first attempt. The Nawab then sang him a very difficult gamak tan, a complicated embel- lishment in a phrase. Fortunately, young Allauddin had detected that the Nawab was becoming a little annoyed at the thought that such a young man might know more than he, and so he meekly replied that such a tan would be difficult to write down. The Nawab was so pleased at this that, in a benevolent mood, he sent for Ustad Wazir Khan and recom- mended young Allauddin to him as a deserving stu- dent. The Nawab himself called for a large silver tray full of gold sovereigns, sweets, material for new clothing, a ring, and new shoes. All these were given to Wazir Khan on behalf of the disciple, and the binding ceremony between Wazir Khan as guru and Allauddin Khan as shishya took place on the spot.

As Baba has said, from the time he moved to Cal- cutta until he came to Rampur, he had communicated with his family and had visited their home several times. His family, hoping they could give him a reason to stay with them, forced him to take a wife on one of his visits, and later, had him marry a sec- ond time. (Muslims may marry up to four times.) But to their horror, Baba ran away from home on the day after each marriage ceremony. His fanatic love for music left no room for such things as marriage or a family then.

In his first two and a half years as a disciple of Wazir Khan, Baba more or less had the duties of a servant and errand boy to his guru and was not really being taught music by him. Baba was rather unhappy about this, but he still spent as much time as he could practicing what he had learned from Ahmad Ali and others on the sarod. Then one day, there came a telegram to him in care of Wazir Khan, asking him to come home immediately because his second wife had tried to commit suicide and was critically ill. She was an extremely beautiful woman, and the peo- ple of her village had tormented her, saying she could not keep her husband at home for all her good looks, and teased her to such an extent that in her unhap- piness she tried to kill herself. Wazir Khan had the telegram read (it was in English) before passing it on to Baba. He was shocked and not a little angry to learn about this, because Baba had told him that he was completely alone and had no family. Imme- diately, he summoned Baba. After being interrogated, Baba tremblingly revealed the truth. When the great man heard the story, he was deeply moved. He real- ized that this was a young man with an unheard-of, abnormal desire to learn music, a love so strong that he would forsake anything else in life, including the love of two young and beautiful wives.

In tears, Wazir Khan embraced Baba, saying he had never realized any of these things, and he felt ex- tremely sorry that he had not paid any attention to Baba in those two and a half years. Then he advised Baba to go home for a while, and as soon as he had straightened matters out, to return to Rampur. Wazir Khan promised that he would consider Baba as his foremost and best disciple outside of his own family, and said he would teach him all the secrets of the art of music that the members of Tan Sen's family pos- sess. "I'll teach you all the dhrupad and dhamar songs," he said, "and the technique and different baj [styles of playing] of the been, rabab, and sursringar." He qualified his vow, however, by saying he could never permit Baba to play the been, because it is tra- ditionally restricted to the Beenkar gharana - his fam- ily - and he warned that if Baba were to play it Baba would never have an heir and his family would die out. Then Wazir Khan further explained that it would be quite possible for Baba to use all the tech- niques and styles of playing the been on the sarod, and he agreed to teach him to play the rabab and sursringar, two instruments that were going out of use at that time.

Wazir Khan did indeed keep his promises. Baba told us that many years later, when he was serving His Highness the Maharaja of Maihar, one day news arrived that Wazir Khan was on his deathbed. Baba rushed straightway to Rampur to be with his guru. Wazir Khan blessed him before he died, saying that Baba's name and the names of his disciples would live forever and carry on the great tradition of the Beenkar gharana and the glory of Mian Tan Sen.

THE REMARKABLE ''IMPURIST''

Few people have any idea of the contributions Baba has made to the world of music, especially in the in- strumental field. Above all, I feel, he is responsible for enlarging the scope and range of possibilities open to an instrumentalist. He has led us away from the confines of narrow specialization that prevailed in our music really through the first quarter of this cen- tury. Until then, one player would do only music of a light and delicate nature, and another would per- form only romantic compositions, some musicians were purely spiritual and others emphasized the "ma- terialistic" side of the music - the wealth of embel- lishment. Because Ustad Allauddin Khan, as a young man, was taught by so many masters, he learned a variety of styles of singing and playing and acquired a good many instrumental techniques - wind and bowed and plucked-string instruments, and even drums.

And so he very naturally incorporated in his playing of the sarod some of the characteristics of diverse vocal styles and of the playing styles asso- ciated with a number of different instruments. He is known mainly as a sarod player, but he also per- formed on several other instruments. He was equally well known as a violinist, and as he did with the sarod, he played the violin with his left hand. Three stringed instruments that he did not perform on in concerts are the been, the sitar, and the surbahar, although he was acquainted with their techniques.

Musicians who follow Baba's example may now choose from a great many vocal and instrumental styles-alap, dhrupad-dhamar, khyal, tarana, tappa, thumri-and synthesize, creating a whole new con- cept in interpretation and performance. Baba faced much criticism in the beginning, as indeed, some of us, as his disciples, have been and are still facing. Early in his career, he was reproached for not playing "pure sarod" when he performed and was criticized for bringing other techniques into his playing. I myself, when I began public appear- ances, faced the charge of not playing "pure sitar" and of having sarod techniques in my music, because I had learned from a sarod player. And I remember clearly that even into the late 1930s, sitar playing was restricted to a very limited dimension, and the players kept to their favorite specialized areas of music. There were some who used a small sitar for the "authentic" sitar baj (here baj means style of playing) and played only medium-slow Masitkhani gats with simple tans (or phrases), a style of composition created by Masit Khan. There were others who played only medium- fast Rezakhani gats and still others who used a rather large sitar and played it more or less in the way one plays the surbahar (a large, deep-sounding instru- ment with very thick strings). I have heard the well- known sitarist Enayat Khan play the alap, jor, and jhala (first three movements of a raga) on the surba- har, then put aside that instrument and take up a small sitar to do the fast Rezakhani gat. His father, Emdad Khan, is known to have done the same thing.

The criticisms of "impurity" of style are likely to come from other musicians who use the same instru- ment, and they and their admirers can cause quite a storm of differing opinion. Also, musicians who do not belong to one strong and well-established gharana are often open to harsh judgments. A musician who is a member of a certain gharana may - and often does - change his style, enriching and expanding it after hearing other musicians and interpreting their ideas in his own way. But, if questioned about this, he has recourse to the shelter of his gharana. He can claim that there is a precedent for what he has done and trace it back through his own gharana's traditions. Often, though, I am amazed that a musician who upholds the highest tradition can be cruelly criticized if he also happens to be a creative artist and brings about many innovations. The great Tan Sen and then Sadarang and even Allauddin Khan faced this sort of criticism early in their careers, but later their "in- novations" became part of our musical tradition, and , were well established through their disciples. That is one of the beauties of Indian classical music - that since the Vedas it has never stood stagnant, but has kept on growing and being enriched by the great creative geniuses of successive generations.

As a teacher, Baba aims at perfecting the hand and finger technique of the student. No matter what in- strument the student may choose, Baba insists that the student who shows promise should also learn to sing the palta, sargams, and other song compositions, carefully delineating the scope of the raga and its distinctive notes and phrases and correctly using the microtones, or shrutis, to give the proper effect to the music and make it come alive. The reason for this is, of course, that the basis of our music is vocal, and it is composed primarily of melody, of embellishment, and of rhythm; any melodic phrase, with or without a definite rhythm, that can be sung can also be played on an instrument, with each instrument's own fea- tures bringing a special quality to the sound. Ac- cording to our tradition, even the instrumentalists are required to have a moderate command of the voice. This makes it easier for them when they take on the role of teacher to instruct their students, merely by singing the gats, or tans, or todas, or even the alap, jor, and jhala. Along with the ability to sing the melodies, Baba recommends that his students learn to play the tabla and acquire a good knowledge of taladhaya (rhythmics). In mastering the funda- mentals, the student learns all the technique of prop- erly handling the instrument of his choice, working in the particular idiom, tonal range, and musical scope of a given instrument by practicing scales, palta, sargams, and bols taught by the guru. Gener- ally, Baba starts with basic ragas like Kalyan for the evening and Bhairav for the morning, first giving, many pieces of "fixed music" in the form of gats, tans, or todas based on the raga. By "fixed music" I do not mean music that is written down as it is in the West; rather I am referring to what we call bandishes, which literally means "bound down," but in this con- text means "fixed." These are vocal or instrumental pieces, either traditional compositions or the teacher's own, that students learn and memorize by playing over hundreds, even thousands, of times, to be able to produce the correct, clear sound, intonation, and phrasing. Thus, Baba lays a solid foundation for the student to know the sanctified framework of the ragas and talas.

When the student, after some years of training, has fairly good control of the basic technique of the in- strument and has learned a few more important morn- ing and evening ragas (Sarang, Todi, Bhimpalasi, Bhairav, Yaman Kalyan, Bihag, and so on) and has some mastery of the fundamentals of solo playing, then he may expand his creative faculties and is encouraged to improvise as he plays. But he has to be careful not to impinge on the purity of the raga. That is, his playing must be correct both in technique and interpretation. The right feeling of a raga is some- thing that must be taught by the guru and nurtured from the germ of musical sensitivity within the stu- dent. Unlike some other musicians, Baba has never been stingy or jealous about passing on to deserving students the great and sacred art that he possesses. In fact, when he is inspired in his teaching, it is as if a floodgate had opened up and an ocean of beautiful and divine music were flowing out. The disciple spends many hours simply listening to his guru, and then he endeavors to fill up the frame of a raga with impro- vised passages born out of the compelling mood of the moment or enlarged through his own attempts at improvisation as his understanding grows and he becomes more familiar with a particular raga. At first, the student may improvise only a fraction of his performance, but as his musicianship matures, so his confidence grows, and he improvises more and more. It is, in a way, like learning to swim. It is exhilarating in the beginning to feel your own body moving through the water, but you are afraid to swim far and there is always the fear of losing control somehow. So it is with a raga. You are always a little afraid at first that you will make mistakes, play the wrong notes, and go out of a raga or lose count of the rhythm as the raga carries you along, but your confidence keeps growing, and one day, you feel you have complete control over what you are playing. A truly excellent and creative musician of the Hindustani system will improvise anywhere from fifty to ninety per cent of his music as he performs, but this freedom can come about only after many many years of basic study and discipline and organized training (if he has a good deal of talent to begin with), and after profound study of the ragas, and finally, if he has been blessed with guru-kripa, the favor of the guru.

When I myself start to perform a raga, the first thing I do is shut out the world around me and try to go down deep within myself. This starts even when I am concentrating on the careful tuning of the sitar and its tarafs (sympathetic strings). When, with con- trol and concentration, I have cut myself off from the outside world, I step onto the threshold of the raga with feelings of humility, reverence, and awe. To me, a raga is like a living person, and to establish that in- timate oneness between music and musician, one must proceed slowly. And when that oneness is achieved, it is the most exhilarating and ecstatic moment, like the supreme heights of the act of love or worship. In these miraculous moments, when I am so much aware of the great powers surging within me and all around me, sympathetic and sensitive listeners are feeling the same vibrations. It is a strange mixture of all the intense emotions - pathos, joy, peace, spirituality, eroticism, all flowing together. It is like feeling God. All these emotions may vary according to the style and approach of playing and to the nature and princi- pal mood of the raga. We Indians say that in a per- formance of our classical music, the listener plays a great role. It is this exchange of feeling, this strong rapport between the listener and the performer, that creates great music. But wrong vibrations emanating from egoistic, insensitive, and unsympathetic listeners can diminish the creative feelings of the musician. Al- though I am not a Tan Sen, at times I have seen miracles happen with my music. Perhaps my playing does not cause rain to fall from the skies, but it has made tears fall from the eyes of my listeners. The miracle of our music is in the beautiful rapport that occurs when a deeply spiritual musician performs for a receptive and sympathetic group of listeners.

A LEGENDARY TEMPER

Besides being famous for his performances and in- novations in music, Baba was also very well known throughout the musical world for his temper. I was rather apprehensive about meeting him for the first time in person. But I still remember how surprised I was when I found him to be so gentle and unassuming, endowed with the virtue of vinaya (humility) in the true Vaishnav spirit. It is only when he is wrapped up utterly in his music that he becomes a stern taskmas- ter, for he cannot tolerate any impurities or defects in the sacred art of music, and he has no sympathy or patience with those who can. His own life has been one of rigorously self-imposed discipline, and he ex- pects no less from his students. Baba's views on celi- bacy and especially on intoxication through alcohol or drugs are extremely rigid and severe. He strongly in- sists that the students follow brahmacharya - for the disciple, a traditional Hindu way of life that includes only the absolute essentials of material needs. This way, with no thoughts of fine clothes, fancy foods, sex or complicated love affairs or anything else that satis- fies and encourages physical desires, the student can channel all of his powers and forces, both mental and physical, into the discipline of his music. Music, to Baba, is a strict, lifelong discipline that requires long and careful training, and if a student is not prepared to regard music in this way, he had better not take it up at all.

Unfortunately, Baba no longer travels or performs now, although on special occasions he may be seen playing the violin or conducting the famous Maihar Band (an ensemble of Indian and Western instru- ments) of which he is still the director. He also con- tinues as Principal of the Maihar College of Music which he attends every day. In 1952, Baba was made a Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (National Academy of Performing Arts), and in 1958, he was awarded the Padma Bhusan, an honorary title for out- standing citizens, by the President of the academy. Viswa Bharati, Tagore's university, gave him the hon- orary degree of Doctor. Thus, honor and recognition came to him in the evening of his life, but he remains, following the saying in the Geeta, unmoved and un- ruffled as he pursues his work and the study of music, never bothering, never worrying or looking back. Baba himself believes he is well over a hundred years old, and his centenary has already been marked. His true age is not known, because records have not been kept, but what does it matter if he is over a hundred or nearing a hundred? What he has accom- plished in his lifetime many others could not do if they had three hundred years to live. He is respected and well regarded by everyone, including the most orthodox Hindu Brahmins, as a rishi, responsible for safeguarding traditions, for developing, teaching, and passing on to disciples the art of music.

There are so many things one could add about Ustad Allauddin Khan. He belongs to a school that seems so far removed from our modern industrial era, and yet, in every way, he has been ahead of his time, injecting a new significance and life into Indian in- strumental music. With him will pass an era that upheld the dedicated, spiritual outlook handed down by the great munis and rishis who considered the sound of music, nad, to be Nada Brahma - a way to reach God.

Musiri Subramania Iyer(August 9, 1899 - March 25, 1975)

was a Carnatic vocalist who's stage performing career spanned the 1920s to the 1940s. After retirement from the stage, he remained an iconic figure in Carnatic music as a dedicated teacher and leader in the Carnatic community. His bhava-laden renditions of Carnatic songs have become the measuring stick for generations of Carnatic vocalists. Musiri Subramania Iyer is one of the giants of Carnatic music in this century.

Biographical sketch

Musiri, as he was universally known, was born in Bommalapalayam in the Trichy district of Tamil Nadu. His father, Sankara Sastry was a Sanskrit pandit. One of three siblings, he lost his mother, Seethalakshmi, as a boy and his sister Rajathi passed when she was but a child. His family was poor—in later life Musiri seldom spoke about those early years. He married Nagalakshmi when he was 14 years old. Musuri learned to fluently speak, read and write in English when he was 17. Inspired by the singing of a popular acting star of those days, S. G. Kittappa, he decided to become a musician. Like Kittappa, Musiri had a strong vocal range in the higher octaves, and could imitate the former's hit songs with ease.

Musiri's initial training in music was under S. Narayanaswamy Iyer for two years, before moving to Chennai for more serious studies with violinist Karur Chinnaswami Iyer. Due to a lack of time to devote to teaching, Chinnaswami sent him to become the disciple of renowned vocal teacher T.S. Sabhesa Iyer who lived in Purasawalkam. Musiri trained with him for 9 years in the guru shishya parampara, learning his guru's particular way of performing neraval that Musiri would later become famous for. He made his debut in Chennai in 1920. His name was announced as "Subramania Iyer of Musiri" and the name stuck. (As per tradition in India, the town the artist hails from is sometimes added as a prefix to ones name, honoring the town while simultaneously giving a distinction of a specific geographical nature to the artist, such as Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, etc.) Given that Musiri was not born in Musiri, accounts differ as to why the name Musuri was added to his name. Musiri once stated that it was simply because Musiri was a more well known location than Musiri's home town of Bommalapalayam, and easier to say as a prefix. Whatever the case, Musiri was a prolific and expert performer, and within 10 years his reputation as a master musician across India was sealed.

In his career, the popularity of Musiri and his name reached every corner of India. His 78 rpm gramophone records were successful to the point that the audience would sometimes demand he sung songs in the exact way as heard on the record. Beginning with the krithi Nagumomu, everything Musiri recorded were best sellers. Nagumomu was a song that, previous to Musiri, was only sung in the Abheri raga, as India's Trinity composer Tyagaraja is thought to have composed it in Abheri. However, Musiri felt that the song sounded more emotional in the Karnataka Devagandhari raga, (a similar but subtly different raga) and he sang and recorded Nagumomu with Karnataka Devagandhari. Carnatic music is an exacting music that places large importance on tradition. Therefore, Musiri's rendition of the song in a different raga than it was originally written caused outrage in many Carnatic musical purists. But Musiri stuck to his decision. Given that Musiri was a devotee of Tyagaraja, taking liberty with Tyagaraja's song was out of freedom of spontaneous expression and not out of irreverence. As a point of fact, Nogumomu sounded so suited to Karnataka Devagandhari raga that everyone began to perform it in the "Musuri way", artists such as Bangalore Nagarathnammal, M. S. Subbulakshmi, and Bhanumathi Ramakrishna. Other songs that became popular and became recognizable through Musuri's signature touch were Enta vetukondu in Saraswathi Manohari raga, Enthu daginado in todi raga, Tiruvadi caranam in Kambhoji, Enraikki shiva kripai in Mukhari, and Vritta shenjadai ada, a raga mala.

Musiri acted in the role of Sant Tukaram in the eponymous film. Though the film is out of print, Musiri's songs in the film have stood the test of time. Musiri did not like acting in the film, citing that acting with women, make up and bright lights made him uncomfortable. Musiri's guru also warned him against acting in the film, knowing that Musiri had struggled with lung illness in the past, and the damp climate in Coimbatore might effect his health. For financial reasons, Musiri accepted the acting part. The exertions he underwent during the making of the film is thought to have resulted in life-long lung trouble for Musiri, forcing his early retirement from live performance in 1945 at 46 years of age.

Though retired from the concert circuit, Musiri was active in many Carnatic music affairs throughout India. He was appointed as the first principal of the Central College of Carnatic Music, Chennai in 1949. During his tenure, he influenced a whole generation of musicians, retiring in 1965. He was also the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of Sri Tyagaraja Brahma Mahotsava Sabha, and was responsible for organizing the annual aradhana of Tyagaraja's passing, at his samādhi in Thiruvaiyaru. The annual celebration of Tyagaraja's music is the largest musical gathering in India, and continues to this day. Musiri is also credited for his key role in the unification of various factions associated with the Aradhana.

Stamp Issue Date : 19/10/1999 Postage Stamp Dinomination : 300 , and 300 Postal Stamp Serial Number : 1880 and 1881 Postal Stamp Name :

Modern Masters of Indian Classical Music

Ustad Allauddin Khan Saheb and

Musiri Subramania Iyer

Stamp Currency : P Stamp Type : COMMEMORATIVE Stamp Language :English

Birth Centenary ofBrigadier Rajinder Singh

BRIG RAJINDER SINGH, MVC, Saviour of Kashmir BRIG RAJINDER SINGH, MVC, Saviour of Kashmir , - By Maj. Gen. Goverdhan Singh Jamwal, AVSM, On 21st Oct, this year a commemorative stamp on Maharaja Gulab Singh was released by Shri Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology in the Durbar Hall of Amar Mahal on the 217th Birth Anniversary of Maharaja Gulab Singh by the Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust headed by Dr. Karan Singh, a long pending demand was met and a dream fulfilled. To remember Maharaja Gulab Singh on the Day of Accession 27 Oct which is the day of Martyrdom of Brig Rajinder Singh who saved the State for India on this Day by sacrificing his life on the Uri front on the night of 26/27 Oct 1947 is very relevant as it was on the 21st Oct 1947, the Birthday of Maharaja Gulab Singh that Pakistan had attacked J&K at muzzaffarabad with the aim of capturing Srinagar, the summer capital of the State. The plan was hatched by the British as the C-in-C of Pakistan Army was General Gracy and the overall C-in-C of both the Dominions of India and Pakistan was General Auchinleck. No operations can be launched against another country without the knowledge of the C-in-C. It was a fraud committed by the British on India which they kept compounding all through the Jammu and Kashmir war through Mountbatten / Edwina Mountbatten by misleading Nehru. whether it was halting the operations short of throwing Pakistan out of the State or going to the United Nations or the self determination etc., one mistake after the other, which has ultimately made Kashmir issue the most complicated in the world and has harmed India for a long time and now it is hurting Pakistan too. Pakistan had created Taliban with the twin aim of firstly to wean away Afghanistan from Indian influence so that it could provide strategic depth to Pakistan against India and secondly use Taliban to destabilize India to settle Kashmir issue which has become quite clear now. What is interesting to note is that Maharaja Gulab Singh with his able Generals like Gen Zorawar Singh and Mehta Baste Ram had taken the Indian frontiers up to Afghanistan where three umpires met viz Britain, Russia and China thus Maharaja Gulab Singh had already provided for such an eventuality although we could neither retain those areas nor recapture them in spite of the Parliament’s Resolution to defend / recapture the arrears forcibly occupied by Pakistan. Brig Rajinder Singh not only provided five days to enable Maharaja Hari Singh to accede to the Indian Union and to the Govt of India to move their Army to stop the Pakistani aggression and throw them back, but he also provided ample time to the Govt of India to secure Gilgit Baltistan, the Northern Areas as are now called where State Governor Brig Ghansara Singh was still ruling the area. If only one company had landed in Gilgit before 30 Oct the whole area would have been with us and Skardu, Kargil, Drass and Leh would have never been threatened by Pakistan and used Northern Areas to link with China which has become a serious eye sore and trouble spot now. Thus we see a link between Maharaja Gulab Singh the founder of the State and Brig Rajinder Singh the defender of the State who had laid down his life while fighting for five days with 100 gallant Dogras in Oct 1947 against 6000 Pakistanis. When he had exhausted all his resources he decided to be himself the last man with the last bullet in his hand as ordered by his Ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh in his order dated 23 Oct 1947 sent to him at Uri on 23 Oct 1947 which read - [“Brigadier Rajendrasingh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all costs and to the last man. Reinforcement is sent with Capt. Jawala Singh. If Brigadier Rajender Singh is not contacted, Capt. Jawala Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at all costs and to the last man. He will do his best to contact Brigadier Rajendrasingh”. For this unique response to the order of his Ruler, in letter and spirit, he sacrificed his life to earn the gratitude of the nation and was awarded the first gallantry award of Independent India, The Mahavir Chakra. He is also called the Saviour of Kashmir for the unparalleled example in the annals of the Military History by the grateful people of the State particularly the valley who gave Sheikh Mohd Abdullah enough time to organize his political forces to fight the invaders to ultimately throw them out of the valley. It was for these sacrifices that the State Govt celebrated Brig Rajinder Singh’s Birth Centenary from 14 Jun 99 to 14 Jun 2000. In fact, in spite of the fierce Kargil war raging during the Centenary Celebrations the Defence Minister Sh. George Fernandes and Dr. Farooq Abdullah inaugurated the Celebrations at his native village Bagoona now named Rajinderpura after his name on 14 Jun 2000. The celebration concluded on 14 Jun 2000 at Rampur Buniyar in Uri Sector where he had laid down his life by unveiling his statue at his Memorial. As a part of the year long centenary celebrations the Govt had installed his statue at Rajinder Chowk behind the New Secretariat at Jammu where every year on 27 Oct the Jammu and Kashmir Ex-Services League with the help and cooperation of the Army notably Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment to which the Brigadier belonged celebrates his Martyrdom Day thereby giving a chance to the people of the State to pay homage to the great soldier who not only created history but also changed the geography of the State. Brigadier Rajinder Singh was born on 14 June 1899 in a small village of Bagoona (since renamed Rajinderpura after him) 35 KMs East of Jammu in the family of Dalpatia Clan of Jamwals. The history of bravery and sacrifice ran in the family, his illustrious ancestor General Baj Singh having sacrificed himself almost a century earlier in the defence of Chitral. His grand father was a war veteran with seven battle scars on his body. His father Subedar Lakha Singh, whom Rajinder lost at an early age of six months, was a Junior Officer in the State Forces. Lt Col Govind Singh, an affectionate uncle brought him up. He was educated in Jammu and graduated from the Prince of Wales College now Govt. Gandhi Memorial Science College, in 1921. During his student days he is remembered as being unassuming, obedient and a good student who did well in his studies. In June 1921, immediately after graduation he joined the J&K State Forces as a Commissioner Officer. Being educated, hard working and dedicated to his profession his progress was rapid. He was promoted Captain in April 1925, Major in July 1927 and Colonel in 1935. In May 1942 he had risen to the rank of Brigadier and stood approved as a Major General. On 24 Sep 1947 he took over as Chief of Staff of J&K State Forces from Maj Gen. HL Scott, a British Officer. He was survived by his wife Mrs. Ram Dei, five daughters and an adopted son.

Stamp Issue Date : 27/10/1999 Postage Stamp Dinomination : 3.00 Postal Stamp Serial Number : 1882ostal Stamp Name :

Birth Centenary of Brigadier Rajinder Singh

Stamp Currency : P Stamp Type : COMMEMORATIVE Stamp Language :English