Stamp issued to remember freedom fighter Pt. Santanam

After 50 years of struggle Madhuri Santanam Sondhi, daughter of noted freedom fighter Pandit K. Santanam (1885-1949) was able to release a commemorative stamp to honour her father's fight for India's independence. She has been trying to get a postage stamp issued since Pt Santanam's 75th birth anniversary in 1959.

The function held on Thursday at the India International Centre, New Delhi was inaugurated by Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar and Radhika Doraiswamy, secretary to the government in the Department of Posts. The opening speech was given by Pt Satanam's grandson Professor Shivaji L. Sondhi.

"The Department of Post has always honoured men and women who have fought for the country. These stamps will be sold at the national and international levels," said Radhika Doraiswamy.

Pt Santanam, originally from Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, settled in Lahore after returning from England where he had gone to study law at Kings College, Cambridge and became a barrister in 1910.

"He took up the defence of those implicated in the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. During that period nobody was allowed to travel outside Amritsar under Martial Law then in effect, but my father managed to slip out and brought the atrocities taking place in Punjab to the notice of the Viceroy's Executive Council. After resigning from his legal practice he built a strong political foundation under Lala Lajpat Rai. He was considered as Lalaji's right hand. He even assisted Gandhiji in drafting the enquiry report by becoming an integral part of the Congress Punjab Enquiry Committee and was involved in the non-cooperation movement," said Madhuri Sondhi.

"We need to keep alive the memory of fighters responsible for the economic and political prosperity of our country. Pt Satanam had formed a company in 1924 named Laxmi Insurance under Lala Lajpat Rai's guidance. To accommodate the employees they built Laxmi Mansions. This building still stands tall in Lahore, Pakistan and interestingly there have been no efforts to change the name or demolish it," said Mani Shankar Aiyar.

Pt Santanam was arrested on 2 December 1921 along with Lala Lajpat Rai. He held several posts in the Congress Committee and also took part in the Salt Satyagrah Movement. He lived for two years after Independence and helped refugees as the member of the Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation.

28 August in The Sunday Guardian.