Special cover to honour Gandhi released

A special cover of Mahatma Gandhi was released by Chief Post Master General of Karnataka Dr Charles Lobo in the counselling hall of Manipal Academy of Higher Education here on Monday.

The programme organised to commemorate the Mahatma’s visit to Udupi 85 years ago on February 25, 1934 and the establishment of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College (MGM) in Udupi in June 1949 by Dr TMA Pai. Incidentally, MGM was the first college started by the founder of MAHE.

This year also marks the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi. The special cover was released by Dr Lobo and Dr Ranjan Pai, chairman, MEMG and registrar, Academy of General Education.

Gandhi visited Mangaluru in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district on February 24, 1934 and Udupi the next day. The Gandhi’s two-day trip to Udupi, known for Sri Krishna temple world over, was highlighted by the chief guest Dr Lobo in his speech at the function. He read out the speech by Gandhi to the gathering at Ajjarakadu. “The significant part of that speech was about untouchability,” Dr Lobo said.

‘No nobler task’

The quote he picked from the speech to elaborate was, “I cannot imagine a nobler task for citizens of any place in India than that they should remove the sin of untouchability from their midst. We are all children of one and the same God and God would not be God of justice if He discriminated between children”.

MAHE Pro-Chancellor Dr H S Ballal spoke of how MGM College was founded. He said that Pai was so impressed by Gandhi that he decided to name the first college established under the Academy of Higher Education after the Mahatma. He added, “Dr Pai wanted to name the medical college started in 1953 also after Gandhi. But owing to some hitch, he couldn’t do so and decided to name it after Kasturba”.

Member of Manipal Philately and Numismatics Club of MAHE Dr Joseph Thomas said, “Gandhi did not win a Nobel Peace Prize, but was immortalised by the world. Over 100 countries have issued stamps on Gandhi, with the US being the first to release it. More than 350 stamps have been released by different countries. This is the highest for any one personality”.