Ask anyone over forty and they will say the arrival of the post was an occasion. It meant
learning news of families living in the country or abroad. It could also mean a
package which could mean a gift. It has evolved now with new players
distributing posts all over the place.
Yesterday was World Post Day. Speaking to
the Herald, Dr M R Ramesh Kumar, President, Goa Philately and Numismatics
Society said the day is celebrated every year on October 9, the anniversary of
the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which started in 1874 in Switzerland. The
UPU, he said, was the start of the global communications revolution,
introducing the ability to write letters to others all over the world. World
Post Day started in 1969. Since then, countries all over the world take part in
celebrations to highlight the importance of the postal service. Many things
happen on this day. Post offices in some countries hold special stamp
collection exhibitions; there are open days at postal measures and there are
workshops on postal history. The UPU organises an international letter writing
competition for young people.
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Postal systems, he said, had been in
operation for many centuries. These were delivered on foot or on horseback by
special messengers. From the 1600s the first national postage systems began
springing up in many countries. These were more organized and many people could
use them. Slowly countries agreed to exchange mail internationally. By the late
1800s there was a global postal service, but it was slow and complicated. The
birth of the UPU in 1874 opened the way for the efficient postal service in
existence today. In 1948, the UPU became an agency of the United Nations. Dr
Kumar said “October 9th was first declared World Post Day at the 1969 UPU
Congress in Tokyo, Japan. The proposal was submitted by Shri Anand Mohan
Narula, a member of the Indian delegation. Since then, World Post Day has been
celebrated all over the world to highlight the importance of the postal
services.”
The theme this year is “Innovate to recover.” The purpose of
World Post Day is to bring awareness to the post’s role in the everyday lives
of people and businesses.
Speaking about India, he said the celebration is week-long. It
is celebrated as Postal week (from 9th October to 15th October, 2021) in India.
They are celebrated every year to raise the awareness of India Posts various
Products and services which enhances the life of every Indian. The postal
history of India, he pointed out, was closely tied to India’s complex political
history. As the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish and British colonialists
gained power in India, their postal systems existed alongside those of
independent states. India, he said, may be the only country in the world, where
a person can still send a postcard in the most economical fashion from Kashmir
to Kanyakumari for 50 paisa. And if it is a Meghadoot card, it can be sent for
25 paisa.
Speaking specifically about Goa, he said the World Post Day was
celebrated by a cake cutting and a set of 10 postcards on the wildlife of Goa
from the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa. Attempts are being made to make the
state a strong player in philately in the country. It has released stamps on
subjects that are diverse and continuously interesting.
One
can wish them all the very best and hope more innovative and interesting stamps
are released making people remember the importance of this service.
