Issued by India

Issued on Nov 7, 2025

Issued for : It is an honor for the Department of Posts to release a Commemorative Postage Stamp on 150 years of Vande Mataram, celebrating its enduring legacy as a hymn of patriotism and a unifying force that continues to inspire generations of Indians.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Shri Sankha Samanta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 303300

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The song Vande Mataram was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the mid-1870s, a time when India’s freedom struggle was gaining momentum. It is believed that the song was composed during the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Navami on 7^th November 1875. It first appeared in Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s literary journal Bangadarshan and was later included in his novel Anandamath (1882).
• The song was written during a period of growing national consciousness and it invoked the Motherland as a symbol of strength, prosperity, and divinity, giving poetic expression to India’s awakening spirit of unity and self-respect. The song became popular among the masses after Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore gave it voice at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. The song became a rallying cry of the Swadeshi Movement following the partition of Bengal in 1905, uniting people across regions and inspiring countless patriots. The song’s emotional and spiritual resonance made it an enduring symbol of India’s nationalist movement. During the freedom struggle, Vande Mataram became a source of collective inspiration, instilling in the people a deep sense of patriotism and cultural pride. It served as a unifying anthem that brought together countless Indians in their quest for independence and national dignity.
• On 24^th January 1950, while announcing the adoption of the Constitution, Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, declared that Vande Mataram, which had played a historic role in the freedom struggle, would be honoured as the National Song. Since then, the song has been a symbol of national pride, unity, and the indomitable spirit of India’s freedom and cultural heritage.
• As the nation marks the 150^th anniversary of Vande Mataram in 2025, nationwide celebrations are being organised to commemorate its legacy and reaffirm the timeless ideals of unity, sacrifice, and love for the Motherland.
• Text : As per the content provided by the Ministry of Culture.

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Issued by India

Issued on Aug 20, 2022

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Ondiveeran, the unsung hero of India.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure : Ms. Gulistaan
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 203700

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Sankaran Kovil

Born on — at Nerkattumseval, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India

Died on Aug 20, 1771 at Manur, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India

About : 

• Ondiveeran hails from the integrated district of Thirunelveli, heading Pothigai hills ruled by little Kingdom namely Sirulimuthu Pattavarayan and Thiruneelakanda Pagadai. He was the first heroic rebel and commander-in-chief of the India freedom struggle against the British East India Company.
• The legend was born in Sankaran Kovil as eighth family siblings of present Thenkasi district to the father Chellaiyah Pagadai and mother Karuppaiee who commanded the village Nerkattan Sevayal. His childhood name was Muthuveeran.
• After the fall of Madurai Nayakars, due to the maneuver behaviour of the revenue tax collection officers of Arcot Nawab, the family predecessors of Mr. Ondiveeran lost their major part of the wealth in command and also, they lost the power of palayapattu. This act humiliated Ondiveeran. During the year 1775, heir-right war occurred in the Arcot Nawab family. Due to this conflict, the power of revenue collecting rights was acquired by the British East Indian Company again. Ondiveeran rebelled against this act strongly.
• In March 1775, Ondiveeran defeated the army led by Mahfuzkhan, Yusuf Khan, and Colonel Heron in Nerkattan Sevayal. From 1757 to 1759, Ondiveeran led the army vanquished British East Indian Company supports in Gangai Kondan, Alwarkuruchi, Nerkattan Sevayal, Oothumalai, Surandai, and Vasudevanallur. In 1764, Ondiveeran headed battalion conquered Marudhanayagam alias Yusuf Khan in Nerkattan Sevayal.
• In the battle of Vasudevanallur fort siege in 1767 headed by Captain Campbell was defeated by our Legend Battler Ondiveeran. His battalion victory travel extends up to Kalakadu, Srivilliputhur and Thenmalai also. After the bereavement of Puli thevar their sons namely Sivaganapandian, Sithiraputhirathevar and a daughter Gomathi Muthuthalachi were guarded by Ondiveeran. The legendary warrior never rested his sword and resisted against British East Indian Company until his last breath. On 20^th August 1771, near Manur village of Thirunelveli district Ondiveeran was defeated and died during the battle with British East Indian Company.
• After the death of the great legend warrior, Ondiveeran the defenceless descent followers and arunthathiyar leaders like Panchalangkuruchi Pottipagadai, Sivagangai kuyili, Sangagri Pollan, Madhari played a remarkable role in the army war field of first and second Palayakarar, kattabomman, Velunachiyar, Theeran chinnamalai and Maruthu brothers against British East India Company.
• Text : Referenced from the contents provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 30, 2018

Issued for : Department of Posts is proud to release a set of three Commemorative Postage Stamps the total of whose denominations adds up to Rs. 75/- to mark the historic occasion of the 75^th Anniversary of the first flag hoisting at Port Blair.

Credits :
Stamps/FDC/Brochure : Sh. Sankha Samanta
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Neenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 4100, 2200 and 1200 Paise

Stamps Printed : 500710 each

Miniature Sheets Printed : 1.20 lakh

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• Port Blair in modern times, as the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is a picturesque tourist location and serves as the gateway to pristine beaches and exotic marine life. To those interested in history, the place is a constant reminder of “Kala Paani” housing the Cellular Jail as well as the stories of torture and inhuman acts meted out to the prisoners, most of them being Indian revolutionaries of the freedom struggle. The first batch of freedom fighters of First War of Independence was brought here on 10 March, 1858, thus marking the beginning of the penal settlement. Since then, the convicts brought here, mostly political prisoners, suffered life imprisonment and hard labour under cruel and degrading conditions. Many were hanged, while others died of disease and starvation.
• The Cellular Jail, now a National Memorial is a witness to the glorious contribution of revolutionary patriots in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement. Many charismatic personalities were imprisoned here. Veer Savarkar, Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Ullaskar Dutt, Indu Bhushan Roy, Prithvi Singh Azad, Trailokyanath Chakravarthy, Mahavir Singh among others; the catalogue is long and distinguished. The stories of their suffering and sacrifice for India’s independence and their defiance and valour in the face of imperial oppression, have elevated the Cellular Jail to a place of pilgrimage in India’s collective national memory.
• The more significant fact however, is that Port Blair was the first Indian territory liberated from imperial British rule. In 1943-44 during World War II, this territory served as the headquarters of the Azad Hind government under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The island at the time was liberated from British rule by Japan which captured it during the World War-II.
• Netaji, accompanied by members of the Azad Hind Government and his staff had paid an official visit to the Andaman Islands from 29-31 December, 1943. He stayed at the former British Chief commissioner’s official residence on Ross Island. His visit followed the Japanese Prime Minister’s historic declaration at the Assembly of Greater East Asiatic Nations in Tokyo on 6 November, 1943 that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands would be transferred to the Provincial Government of Azad Hind.
• On 30 December, 1943 Netaji addressed a mass rally of Indians at the Gymkhana ground in front of the Andaman Club. On the same day, he hoisted the Tricolour for the first time at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. He also announced the Islands as the first Indian Territory freed from the British rule.
• After the flag hoisting, Netaji visited the Cellular Jail the same afternoon. He spent two hours there going around the Indian Bastille. Describing his visit to the islands later, Netaji said, “For Indians the return of the Andaman represents the first territory to be liberated from British yoke. By the acquisition of this territory, the provincial government has now become a national entity in fact as well as in name. The liberation of the Andamans has symbolic significance because the Andaman has always been used by the British as a prison for political prisoners. Most of the political prisoners sentenced to servitude for conspiracies to overthrow the British Government – and there have been hundreds of them – were looked up in this island. Like the Bastille in Paris, which was liberated first in the French Revolution, setting free political prisoners, the Andaman where our patriots suffered is the first to be liberated in India’s fight for independence.” Netaji named Andaman Island as “Shaheed” and Nicobar Island as “Swaraj”.
• Today, the place where Netaji hoisted the flag stands as a great memorial.
• Text : Sh. Pallab Bose and material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jan 8, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to issue a Commemorative Postage Stamp on the Ghadar Movement Centenary.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.41 Million (0.1 million for the proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Ghadar Movement constitutes an important milestone in the history of India’s struggle for freedom. The word Ghadar means mutiny. The movement aimed at bringing about a revolution in India in order to secure liberation from the British rule. Organised in USA (Astoria, Oregon) in the year 1913, the headquarter of the Ghadar Party was established in San Francisco.
• The birth of such a movement in America was a result of an exceptional coming together of a number of Indian revolutionaries in exile and a large number of migrant Punjabi Sikh farmers and workers. The contact with the outside world and exposure to new ideas opened their minds. They started understanding the meaning of freedom and reasons of the poverty and exploitation under colonial domination. They dreamt of complete independence of India and worked towards instilling patriotic feelings in young Indians and train them for a rising in India. A distinguishing feature of this movement was its inclusive character; it shed parochialism and transcended the boundaries of caste, religion and region. 
• The name of the movement came from the weekly newspaper named Ghadar which was published first in Urdu then in English, Hindi, Gujrati, Gurmukhi and Pushtu and circulated free of charge among Indians settled in different parts of the world. The declaration made by the paper Ghadar in its first issue of November 1, 1913, was categorical and audacious: “Today there begins in foreign lands, but in the language of the country, a war against the English rule in India”. The founding editor of this paper was the reputed intellectual and revolutionary, Lala Hardayal. With Sohan Singh Bhakna as the President, Hardayal was also the first secretary of the Ghadar Party. Other prominent leaders of the Ghadar Party were Taraknath Das, Mohammed Barkatullah, Rash Bihari Bose and Vishnu Ganesh Pingley. 
• The objective of preparing for the freedom of India crystallised during a series of Hardayal’s meetings and discussions with leading members of the Punjabi community like Jwala Singh, Bhakna, Kanshi Ram, Sarabha, Gobind Behari Lal and others in California and around Portland and Astoria. The group felt that those who were not free in their own countries could not hope for respect in foreign lands. The group felt that Liberation from British rule was possible only through an armed struggle.
• The Canadian government’s cruel treatment of the Indian passengers of steamship Komagata Maru and the sudden eruption of the war between Germany and England upset their plans. When, after two months long legal battle and appeals to British authorities, the 376 passengers were not allowed to land in Canada and the ship was forced to return to Calcutta in India, the Indian community in North America was livid with rage. Ghadar Party planned a Pan-Indian mutiny in the British Indian Army, from Punjab to Singapore, in February 1915 to overthrow the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent. The mutiny was ultimately thwarted as the British Indian intelligence successfully infiltrated the Ghadar movement. Despite the fact that Ghadar movement could not achieve its objective of freedom from British Raj, the impact of Ghadar movement was phenomenal.
• The Ghadar Memorial, now under the charge of the Consul-General of India at San Francisco, continues to remind Indians of the valiant efforts of the Ghadarites.
• Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 11, 2010

Issued for : India Post commemorates the Commitment to freedom and the sacrifice of Prafulla Chandra Chaki by issuing this postage stamp.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

Name : Prafulla Chandra Chaki 

Born on Dec 11, 1888 at Bihar, Bagra district, Bengal Presidency, British India [now in Bangladesh]

Died on May 2, 1908 at Mokama Ghat, Bihar, India

About : 

• Prafulla Chandra Chaki was born on December 11, 1888 in the Bihar village of Bagra district, now in Bangladesh, to Shri Raj Narain and Smt. Swarnmai Devi. He was expelled from Rangpur Zilla School when studying class 9 for taking part in student’s demonstration that violated the Carlile Circular of the Government of East Bengal and Assam. He joined Rangpur National School where he came in contact with revolutionaries like Jitendra Narayan Roy, Abinash Chakravarti, Ishan Chandra Chakravarti and became a believer and practitioner of the revolutionary philosophies, in his effort to participate in the freedom struggle of India.
• Barin Ghosh brought Prafulla to Kolkata and he was enlisted in Jugantar Party. His first assignment was to kill Sir Joseph Bampfylde Fuller (1854-1935), the first Lieutenant Governor of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam. However, the plan did not materialize. Again, Prafulla, along with Khudiram Bose was chosen for murdering Kingsford, the Calcutta Presidency Magistrate, and later, magistrate of Muzaffarpur, Bihar.
• Khudiram and Prafulla watched the usual movements of Kingsford and prepared a plan to kill him. On the evening of April 30, 1908, the duo waited in front of the gate, they threw bombs and blew up the carriage. However, the vehicle was not carrying Kingsford but two British ladies, Mrs. and Miss Kennedy, were killed. The revolutionaries fled from there and decided on separate routes for escape. Prafulla took a disguise and boarded a train to Kolkata. Nandlal Banerjee, a Sub-Inspector of Police, suspected Prafulla at the Samastipur. Being surrounded by the Police at Mokameh station, he shot himself in the head on 02^nd May, 1908, Khudiram Bose was later arrested and hanged to death.
• Text : Based on material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on May 6, 2010

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Velu Thampi.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

Name : Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi

Born on May 6, 1765 at Kalkulam, Kalkulam taluk, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India

Died on Mar 29, 1809  at Kollam, Kerala, India

About : 

• Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi, alias Velu thampi Dalawa, was born in Thalakkulam village, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu on 6^th May 1765. His mother tongue was Malayalam but he was proficient in English, Tamil and Sanskrit. An expert in Ayurveda, Astrology, Tarka Sastra and Mathematics, was also adept in the practice of ‘Kalaripayattu‘, the martial art of Kerala.
  
• At the age of 24, he became the Tehasildar, locally known as “Karyakkar” during Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal‘s rule. In 1799 he had led an agitation, marching to the Travancore Palace demanding strict action against corruption. He condemned the Government’s tax hike policy. His continuous crusade against corruption impressed the king and the king promoted him as ‘Mulakumadiseela Sarvadi Karyakkar‘ (Finance Minister).
  
• In 1801 the ruling king Balarama Varma promoted him as Dalawa, and he is remembered today as the Diwan of Travancore. During this period he had established a Census system to keep account of all paddy fields and other crops in Travancore. In 1803 he introduced a new revenue code known as ‘Chattuneettole‘ and ‘Nalvazhi‘ through becoming a pioneer of revenue administration. During this period places like Kollam, Changanassery, Vaikkom emerged as well known trade centres in Kerala. Constrained to accept the subsidiary alliance imposed by the British Raj, the kingdoms of Travancore & Cochin allied against the Raj. Velu Thampi trained the local manpower. In 1809 he initiated complete agitation against British Raj, better known as ‘Kandara Vilamparam‘ – (Kundara Proclamation) in the history of India‘s freedom struggle. Setbacks failed to deter him.
  
• However, on 29 March, 1809 when the British Military surrounded the place of Mannady, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, he refused to surrender, choosing instead to commit suicide, the death of a hero and martyr in India‘s Freedom Struggle.
  
• Text : Based on material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jul 25, 2009

Issued for : India Post is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Lala Ramcharan Agarwal.

Credits :
Stamp, FDC & Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Ram Charan Agarwal

Born on Dec 2, 1919 at Najibabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died on Jul 25, 1977

About : 

• Ramcharan Agarwal, who was affectionately called ‘Lalaji‘, was born to a family of freedom fighters on 2^nd December 1917 at Najibabad, Uttar Pradesh. His father Shri Ramchander Mal was a businessman.
• Ramcharan Agarwal was deeply impressed by the ideology and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and became his follower, taking an active part in the freedom struggle. At the early age of 19, he became Treasurer of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. He was first arrested in 1939 and again went to jail in 1942 and 1945 as a consequence of his activities during the freedom movement. He was one of the eleven persons selected by Mahatma Gandhi from Delhi for individual Satyagrah. Keeping in view his qualities of leadership, team work and social service, he was given a ticket by the Indian National Congress from Maliwara Constituency for Delhi Municipal Committee Elections 1951 and then again in 1954. He won both the elections.
• He won MCD elections in 1958 and was elected the first Deputy Mayor of Delhi along with Smt. Aruna Asaf Ali, who was the first Mayor. He was again elected Deputy Mayor of Delhi in 1961. In the year 1962, he was once again elected to the Municipal Corporation, Delhi. Lalaji was known as the “Little big man” of the Indian National Congress, who worked for the upliftment of the poor.
• Lalaji was a great visionary. His sobriety and sincerity won the esteem and affection of all. He stressed the need for cleanliness of Yamuna River and mooted the proposal to stop sewage flowing into the river. He had the interests of the common man at heart and he was a friend of the poor and the down-trodden. His Night Shelter scheme for the homeless was one of the measures which bore testimony to this. He played an important role in the development of slum enclosures in Old Delhi, giving protection to sellers in pavement bazars. He is still remembered for his contribution towards upliftment of the living standards of the poor and weaker sections of society. In 1966, he was elected to the newly formed Metropolitan Council. He was awarded ‘Tamrapatra‘ by the then President of India, Dr. Fakruddin Ali Ahmed, for his contribution to the freedom movement. Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru was very fond of Lalaji. He especially wrote a letter to him wishing him success in his political career. Smt. Indira Gandhi described Lalaji as a gentleman politician, who always stood for principles. In her words, “Lalaji was a man having a great place in Delhi, holding a strong position in Congress and a very popular name in the freedom movement. He has established a foundation by his character, work and personality.“
• He visited many foreign countries as a member of the Indian delegation, including UK, USA, USSR and Canada. In recognition of his services to the country, the ITO Crossing, in Delhi, has been renamed as ‘Ram Charan Agarwal Chowk’.
• He died on 25^th July 1977. He was a true Gandhian and wore khadi throughout his life. He will always be remembered as a great freedom fighter in Indian history.
• Text : As per the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Mar 12, 2009

Issued for : India Post is proud to issue a commemorative postage stamp in the memory of Vir Baburao Puleshwar Shedmake.

Credits :
Stamp, FDC & Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

Name :  Baburao Puleshwar Shedmake

Born on Mar 12, 1833

Died on Oct 21, 1858 at Chanda, Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, India

About : 

• Baburao Puleshwar Shedmake was born on 12^th March, 1833. He was the eldest son of Poolaisur Bapu and Jurja Kunwar. Poolaisur Bapu was Up-Zamindar of Molampalli of Ghot Zamindari under District Chanda CP and Berar, Maharashtra. As per the tradition of Gond tribe, Shedmake got his initial education from Ghotul Sanskar Kendra where he learnt Hindi, Gondi and Telugu along with music and dance. As English was getting prominence Shedmake‘s father sent him to Raipur, Chhatisgarh for learning English. After completing his education at Raipur, Shedmake came back to Molampalli. He was 18 years old when he as per his tribe tradition got married to Raj Kunwar.
  
• In 1854 Chandrapur came under British rule. Shedmake was first to raise his voice against British rule. He used Guerilla war tactics against the Britishers. During 1857, when entire India declared war of independence against the British rule, Shedmake consolidated 500 tribal youth from the region and prepared an army and with this army he was able to capture Rajghad area. When this information reached Chandrapur, the Deputy Collector, Mr. Krikton sent British army to curb it, but near Nandgaon Bhosari the British army was defeated. Mr. Krikton sent another troop which fought battle at Sanganapur and Bamanpet but they also lost the battle.
  
• These two victories encouraged Shedmake and he attacked telephone camp at Chinchgudi on 29^th April, 1858 in which Telegraph Operators Mr. Hall and Mr. Gartland were killed but Mr. Peter managed to escape and reported the incident to Mr. Krikton. Mr. Krikton then used his diplomatic tactics for arresting Shedmake. On one side he asked Captain Shakespeare from Nagpur to assist him and on the other side he forced Rani Laxmi Bai, Zamindarini of Aheri to help them. His tactics worked and Rani Laxmi Bai conspired against Shedmake which Shedmake was not aware of. On 18^th September, 1858 Shedmake was arrested. He was brought to Chanda Central Jail. On 21^st October, 1858, Baburao Puleshwar Shedmake was hanged at open ground in Chanda.
  
• Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Aug 9, 2007

Issued for : Department of Posts is honoured to issue a set of postage stamps commemorating 150 years of the First War of Independence.

Design : The stamps and the miniature sheet artistically depict the two pitched battles at Kanpur and Lucknow focusing on unknown soldiers.

The First Day Cover depict the dawn of the new nationalism symbolized by the rising sun; the guns whose greased cartridges provided the immediate catalyst. The First Day Cover also depict a part of the constitution drafted by the sepoys.

The two maxim cards depict war scenes, adopted from murals and tribal paintings from Madhya Pradesh.

Credits :
Stamp : Shankha Samanta
FDC : Bharati Mirchandani
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 & 1500 paise

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million each

Miniature Sheet : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• The year 1857 witnessed the first war of independence, which is perhaps one of the defining moments of Indian freedom struggle. Scholars and historians ascribe many causes and among these causes one that triggered the chain of incidents was reaction of the Indian soldiers of the East India Company’s army, to the grease of the new kind of cartridge they were compelled to use. Perhaps the more important causes were people’s discontentment with the land taxes taken by the British government, the seizure of many kingdoms and princely states by the British, and above all, people’s desire for freedom from foreign rule.
• One of the early incidents of protest by soldiers took place in Barrackpur near Kolkata. Soon after in the month of May, 1857, Indian soldiers of the East India Company, called by the British “Native sepoys”, revolted. On March 10 they marched to Delhi and declared the Moghul King Bahadurshah II, as the Emperor. The fire soon spread to Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Bareilly and many other parts of the Gangetic heartland, and the storm centers were spearheaded by Nana Saheb, Diwan Azimullah, Tantia Tope, Kunwar Singh and Rani Laxmi Bai. The big battles between the British and the rebels took place mainly in the region between the Narmada and the Ganga. But reverberations were felt in distant parts such as South Maratha country, some parts of South India, parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan and even in North East India in Khasi-Jaintia hills and Cuchar.
• The significance of 1857 is that unlike many a battle against the British earlier, for the first time simultaneously there were rebellions in many regions, imparting an all-India character to the uprising. 1857 was remarkable not only due to its unprecedented scale, covering almost half of India, but also due to its impact on popular mind everywhere. It was a source of inspiration for the freedom struggle that followed.
• Moreover, the unity that was displayed between the different communities during the uprising was quite remarkable. Another significant aspect of 1857 was the unity under the Mughal Emperor. The allegiance to the emperor was accepted by almost every leader in the rebellion and thus it can be said that this loyalty brought about a measure of political unity among those who were in the struggle against foreign rule. For all these reasons 1857 and the stories of heroism and martyrdom and struggle for independence have a place in the hearts of the people of India.
• Text : Based on material provided by Indian Council of Historical Research.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 10, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue this postage stamp commemorating Nupee Lal.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Print Quantity : 0.8 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Nupee Lal of 1939, or the Women’s Agitation of 1939, is a defining moment in Manipur‘s recent history when thousands of Manipuri women raised their voices against the policies of the Imperial British in India and the Manipur State Darbar headed by the Maharaja of Manipur.
• The seeds of the agitation were sown in November of 1938 when about 356 members of the public had petitioned the then Maharaja of Manipur, Sir Churachand Singh, to set up a Legislative Council and to nominate the Darbar members from among the members of the Council.
• The continuing demands for popular reforms in state administration took a new turn the following year when the price of rice in the state suddenly soared during the harvest season. The people took to the streets to protest against this man-made phenomenon. Thus, the women’s agitation was a direct action in protest against the policy and practice of the foreign traders who were then holding a monopoly in rice trade in the state.
• The agitation was also a protest against the imperialist rule in Manipur as well as the regime of the Maharaja who supported the foreign traders, and who was backed by the then imperialist government. The Nupee Lal which started in December 1939 continued till June 1940.
• The significance of the agitation lay in the administrative reforms that followed. The immediate reforms, other than the stoppage of export of rice from Manipur and the closure of rice mills in the state following the Nupee Lal, were the establishment of a Chief Court in Manipur; the setting up of a Legislative Council in place of the Darbar in 1946-47; the framing and passing of the Manipur State Constitution Act, the Manipur State Election Act and the Election Rules; and the establishment of the Assembly in 1948-49.
• On 12^th December, hundreds of women demonstrated before the state office insisting that the President of the Darbar should forbid the export of rice. The President of the Darbar said that such an order would require the approval of the Maharaja who was then at Nabadwip. He went with the women demonstrators to the Telegraph Office and telegraphed the Maharaja. The demonstrators kept him there to wait for the Maharaja‘s reply. Meanwhile, a detachment of the 4^th Assam Rifles cleared the demonstrators, and in the process some women received bayonet injuries and many were imprisoned. The day is observed as Nupee Lal Day in Manipur as a state holiday.
• Text : Based on material provided by proponent.
  

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