PHILATELY IN TRANSITION IN INDIA


From the issues of Stamps of India Collectors Companion


Part 58, Issue # 117 - May 22, 2003

A friend recently called in and congratulated us on the name of this column. We were naturally surprised and asked him to explain. He said that we have done a smart thing in naming this column whose acronym PITII points directly to Pittie who has captured power in post-Jatia Indian philately. No amount of denying from our side helped our friend change his mind however for us it was a time for comical relief.

There is no denying the ground reality that Pittie and company (P Company) ruthlessly rules philately in India. However P Company refuses to realize that situation has changed since Jatia has gone and his shoes are too big for them to step in to as they are no match for his political and other skills.

It is common knowledge in India that the shortest route to a gold medal is buying it off the jury, be it straight payoff or a roundabout way of buying useless material at inflated prices from him/her. It is this commercial operation, the lure of all expenses paid foreign jaunts as jury and commissioners, and score of other opportunities to make money that is at present shaken by the actions of PCI members who demand transparency. As one of P Company's key member, A R Singhee said openly in the last PCI meeting of August 25, 2002 "It is a question of our survival" and he was dead right.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely and thirty-five years of total control on Indian philately by Jatia and then by P Company has led to absolute rot, mess, decay, and several cupboards full of skeletons. We are saddened to record that majority of philatelists active in organized philately today have mistakenly presumed the examples set by P Company as the way to go about in their philatelic pursuits.

Except for those who seek favors, not deserved otherwise, others do not support the P Company. The favor-seekers are known for their fickleness and P Company is aware of the type of people around them so it is busy doling out favors to all those who ask for, be it a gold medal, appointment as commissioner, nomination as delegate/member to various committees. All they ask in return is the proof of the services rendered and the lower one stoops the higher the reward.

P Company is even inducing somewhat neutral persons by offering such carrots in the hope that these new inductees will help them strengthen and maintain the status quo having developed a vested interest.

Copyright © 1997-2012, Stamps of India, New Delhi, India | All rights reserved

Stamps of India  The Hub Site  for Philately and Postal Services of India       Home
India Philatelic Network | Stamp Issues | Reading Room | Research Resource | Links
Subscribe to Stamps of India Collectors Companion