The Philatelic Congress of India, the nodal national federation of Indian philatelic societies, has announced Achievement Awards for 2021 in which philatelists from Odisha have featured prominently.
The awards, which were announced under three categories, have nine prominent philatelists from Odisha. While Sahadev Sahoo has been conferred the Philatelic Ratna Award, Anil Dhir has been invited as a Fellow of the Philatelic Congress of India, the first fellowship to be conferred on any philatelist of the State.
Certificates of Appreciations for excellence in promoting the hobby has been given to Shanti Swarup Rath, Shakil Ahmed, Ajit Kumar Dash, Ajit Kumar Raut, Nanda Kishore Agrawal, Jeevan Jyoti and Naresh Agrawal.
Two philatelic bodies of the State, the Eastern India Philatelists’ Association and the Orissa Philatelic Association, too have been accorded PCI Certificates of Appreciation-Societies.
According to Anil Dhir, a prominent philatelist and a postal historian who has written four award winning books on the subject, Odisha is now the philatelic capital of India. So, it is not a surprise that the maximum awards were given to philatelists of the State.
Recollecting the contribution of the Late Bijayshree Routray, the founding president of EIPA, Dhir said the hobby which is at a decline all over, is flourishing in Odisha.
Dr Bhibhudatta Mishra, whose book on Odishan Special Covers was recently released, is of the opinion that the India Post should adopt a proactive role in promoting the dying hobby. Holding of regular district- and State-level exhibitions and workshops is necessary to keep the hobby alive.
Shakil Ahmed gave the example of the recent decision of the authorities to close down the heritage Philatelic Bureau at Cuttack. The proposal was shelved only after many protests by philatelists.
Ajit Kumar Dash, one of the founder members of EIPA, said such awards would bolster the efforts of philatelists and popularise the hobby. He has retired from the Odisha Police Service as an Additional SP and is among the foremost forensic document experts of India with several research papers. He is known for his international award winning exhibits on Odisha, Dogs and Scouts & Guides.
Kashinath Sahoo pointed out that Odisha has some unique aspects in Postal history which include the only Pigeon Post in the world, the oldest letter box of the country and some most unique heritage Post Office buildings. The erstwhile feudatory of Bamra was one of the few to have issued postage stamps during the British rule.