This World Post Day, the Philatelic Society of
India gives interesting inputs on posting and philately for those who still
have immense faith in the written word.
When was the last time you wrote a letter to a
friend or a loved one? Gone are the days when people would stand in long queues
outside the post office to get their letters stamped, be it seasonal greetings
or just plain letters.
October 9, being widely celebrated as WorldPost
Day, we took the opportunity to pay a tribute to the age-old tradition of
letter writing. This day marks the anniversary of the establishment of
the Universal Postal Union(UPU) in 1874 in
Switzerland. But it was only in 1969 that it was marked as World
Post Day by the UPU Congress, held in Japan.
The renowned Philatelic Society of India located in
Mumbai has been around since 1897, founded by a few enthusiastic British
philatelists, and with 118 years of experience in global postage. “Philately is
basically a hobby of collection of postal stamps, history and records,” says
Kapil Gogri, Governing Council Member of the Philatelic Society of India.
Currently, the society aims at encouraging people to develop their hobby, and
even exhibits the stamp collections of local people.
The loyalists
Alannah Fernandes, who is an ardent fan of writing
handwritten letters, has been doing so for the past 15 years. She says,
“While letter writing does add a personal
touch, I feel it is rather uncommon today, which makes such letters even more
special.” However, there are doubts about whether handwritten letters would
eventually stop. To this, Fernandes says, “I don’t think that handwritten
letters would ever stop because I feel that there would still be individuals who’d
prefer writing letters for their own personal reasons and I feel that they
should be rightfully catered to.”
Would technology finally
conquer?
Battling the notion that the Internet would
eventually overpower every medium of communication, we believe that there will
still be a select few who will be loyal to the traditional ways. “Technology
has tried replacing almost everything but some things like writing letters and
anxiously waiting for a reply is a form of nostalgia that can never be replaced
by any form of technology,” says Elaine D’Souza, another lover of the written
word.
Gogri, however, disagrees. “Of course, it will go
extinct. However, email isn’t the only component. The younger generation is far
more accustomed to instant social media like Facebook and WhatsApp, than
physically written letters.” Moreover, there is a visible decline in the
knowledge and ability to appreciate stamps and realise their worth, he says.
However, Jonathan Kale, who still prefers to write handwritten letters to his
best friend, adds, “Depending on the changing generation, I think there will be
a drop in the number of people writing letters. Looking at how things have
evolved, and with so many messaging platforms coming up, it seems difficult for
letters to sustain their position.”
Celebration galore
In order to celebrate World Post Day this year, a
franking system will be used. This includes a machine designed to stamp letters
in large numbers, which would prove helpful to people, who need to post several
letters. Our Father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s message of
Swachh Bharat will also be imprinted on the stamp.
Facts about forgery
Indian stamps are made in the security press at
Hyderabad and Nashik.
Fake stamps are known as phantoms, which are
essentially forgeries.
Postal offices registered with UPU provide official
stamps. Those who are not registered with UPU make their own stamps, which are
not authentic.
Source
: http://www.dnaindia.com/
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