Special cover on prohibition released

Mahatma Gandhi visited the Jnanodaya Samaj Mandir at Hoige Bazaar on February 24, 1934, at the invitation of the Mandir founder Mohanappa Thingalaya.

Gandhiji had spoken on abstinence from alcohol to people of the Mogaveera community on the occasion.

Now, 85 years later, the Karnataka postal circle, has released a special cover, at the same Mandir on Saturday.

It is the sixth in the series of 12 special covers on different themes to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi from October 2018 to January 2019. The theme of this cover was titled ‘prohibition’. Incidentally, the Mandir constructed by Thingalaya completed 100 years on Friday.

Three visits to M’luru

Well-known philatelist and urologist Dr G G Lakshman Prabhu said Gandhiji’s two-day visit to Mangaluru in 1934 was his third and final visit here. In the first visit to Mangaluru on August 19, 1920, to gather support for the non-co-operative and Khilafat movement, Gandhiji had urged the gathering at Central Maidan to return the titles bestowed upon them by British-India government, boycott councils and hearings in courts and classes in schools.

“During his second visit to Mangaluru on October 26, 1927, it was to campaign in favour of the Khadi as, then, cloth was the biggest imported item. Before leaving for Bombay via sea, Gandhiji urged the people to use Khadi and eradicate untouchability,” said Dr Prabhu.

“The third visit was in 1934, called the Harijan tour, post Salt Satyagraha in 1930. It is the most cherished visit by Gandhiji. After delivering a talk on prohibition at the Mandir, Gandhiji visited Kudmul Ranga Rao’s school and laid the foundation stone for the Krishna Mandir,” he informed.

“It was Mangaluru that made Gandhiji wield a trowel. The stick which Gandhiji famously used during the Salt Satyagraha also came from Mangaluru,” he said with pride.

‘Gandhiji a phenomenon’

Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil released the special cover. Gandhiji was a phenomenon, the officer said. “The First War of Independence 1857 sowed the seeds of a nationalist feeling. But it was Gandhiji’s non-co-operative movement that spread the nationalist feeling throughout the country,” he stressed.

Postmaster General (South Karnataka region) S Rajendra Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Mangaluru Division Shriharsha, Mohanappa Thingalaya’s grandson and president of Mandir Premachandra K Thingalaya were present during the release.

Special covers for Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary

Chief Postmaster General (Karnataka Circle) Dr Charles Lobo decided to commemorate Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary by propagating messages of Gandhiji creatively through special covers.

Thus, the first special cover was released on the theme, ‘Guru and Disciple’ in Bengaluru (October 31, 2018); the second special cover on the theme Charaka in Bagalkot (November 25, 2018); the third on the theme INC session in Belagavi (December 27, 2018), fourth on Gandhi Nilaya in Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur (January 26, 2019), fifth in Bidar on the leprosy awareness campaign (January 30, 2019) and sixth on prohibition in Mangaluru (February 23, 2019).