[Exclusive]: Vietnam approaches India for release of postal stamp on Ho Chi Minh
What Mahatma Gandhi is to India, Ho Chi Minh is to Vietnam. Minh led the independence movement in 1941 and established the Republic of Vietnam.
NEW DELHI. India may soon issue a commemorative postal stamp on Ho Chi Minh, the legendary Vietnamese revolutionary leader, and politician, who led the independence movement against colonial rule in 1941 and established Communist-ruled North Vietnam in 1945
Ho Chi Minh later served as Prime Minister of North Vietnam from 10 years (1945-1955) and later as its President for 20 years (1945-1965). He died in 1969.
“We have received a proposal from the government of Vietnam for the issue of a commemorative postal stamp on Ho Chi Minh, and it is under consideration. What Mahatma Gandhi is to India, Ho Chi Minh is to Vietnam,” Dr. Amarpreet Duggal, DDG (Philately), Department of Posts told Asian Community News (ACN) Network recently.
The diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam have looked up in the last few years and both the countries have inched closer to each other on the various front despite the latter being a communist country and India world’s largest democracy.
Last year. India and Vietnam both had jointly issued commemorative stamp on the theme of popular ancient architecture of both the countries – Sanchi Stupa and Thien mu Pagoda.
When asked about the time the release of the stamp would take, Dr. Duggal said, “The release of the postal stamp might take about 8-10 months as it would go through a well-laid procedure that requires approval from the concerned department minister and also from Ministry of External Affairs as well as the cabinet.”
However, it was also on May 17, 1990, when India had released one million commemorative postal stamps valuing Rs. 2 each on Ho Chi Minh but without watermarks then. The colours used then were reddish-brown and yellowish-green.
