A man of his letters

Hariharan’s history with the postal service is nothing, if not noteworthy.
A man of his letters

CHENNAI: The expansive history of the postal service of India may be quite impossible to be captured by one person. This, however, has not stopped Coimbatore resident N Hariharan from swelling his impressive collection — ongoing for 35 years — of special cancelled covers, rare postcards, and even unique date stamp impressions, like the one you could get yesterday (22. 02. 22). “In the year 2000, I first got a unique stamp impression; that was 01. 01. 00. Then, I went on to collect several other such combinations through the years — 10.11.12, 11.12.13, 12.12.12 and more. Now, since the month does not cross 12, these impressions are getting rarer. I urge people to collect date impressions like these when they can. Many don’t know that it’s free,” he shares. The philatelist has a collection of over 15 such impressions.

An old relationship

Hariharan’s history with the postal service is nothing, if not noteworthy. The son of a postmaster, he found himself in the same position as an adult. But, it was not his interest that led him to this career, rather the profession itself that cultivated his attraction. His dedication saw recognition in the form of the prestigious Meghdoot Award after 19 years of service, which was presented by former union minister of information and broadcasting, Vitthalrao Gadgil in New Delhi. “I received the award in its introductory year (1984) and was the only one from the state to have gotten this honour. It was a moment of pride for me. I worked hard and am still working hard for the Post even though people tell me it’s unnecessary. For the 40 years I have served, I will continue to honour my department,” he says. The 79-year-old has also received six awards for various suggestions to the department; the first being modification of the cumbersome money receipt and the last, halting the use of postcards for registered documents.

Preservation and care

The retired postmaster may have started his collection a little late in life (1987), but his enthusiasm and commitment to philately more than make up for the lost time. From several Meghdoot postcards to his grandfather’s letters in 1942, everything rare and old catches his eye. He even has rare Gandhi postcards that were once priced three, five and six paisa. Every letter, cover and stamp is kept neatly and carefully, he assures. Perhaps, this could once provide a small part of postal history that the future philatelist seeks? “I have cards from as long ago as 1925 or 1947, more recent greeting cards, and even the Corona card that came out in the pandemic; they are a memory. I look at it and it gives me happiness. Newer technology like e-mails are not long-lasting like this; there is nothing to replace the post,” he declares.

Especially when one compares the vast and influential history of the post. “When you look back to old days, there were runners who would deliver these letters by foot every eight kilometres. I once spoke to a person who worked at Sabarimala. He told me how the mail was carried on foot for 13 miles on the Vandiperiyar route in Idukki district to Pamba and then carried up to Sabarimala. That was how important post was then,” he reminisces.

And one cannot deny the importance of these collectibles in history. Every card, cover and stamp tells a story of its own. Hariharan has a few in his possession. “The 1925 card I mentioned was a 3 paisa postcard then. I just found it once, someplace outside. Someone had left it. That card was from the District Education Department to some school or college. It was delivered within a day! This was a big deal at the time because transportation was not nearly as efficient as it is now,” he reveals.

Over 40 years of service, many more of investing in his collection and with no intention to stop, Hariharan carries with him a part of history, one that philatelists and students are amused by, and hopefully, the younger generation will be as well. “Philately is the king of hobbies,” he signs off.

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