The world’s first adhesive postage stamp that was used in a public postal system is a simple profile of Britain’s Queen Victoria on a black background. The stamp, issued in 1840, is one of the many such interesting exhibits at Kochipex-2014, a philately exhibition being organised by the Ernakulam and Aluva Postal Divisions.
The exhibition showcases several gems from the collections of special invitees, most of whom have won national and international awards, and those participating in the competition section. The ‘Penny Black’ collection is presented by well-known philatelist George John Nidhiry. Each collection tells a story about different subjects, such as the story of Jesus of Nazareth, or the growth of India since Independence. One such collection at the show was on Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Vitruvian Man.’ The well-researched collection has fetched the collector George Reynolds awards at different competitions abroad. The small pieces of paper displayed at the exhibition may not seem like much, but are together worth lakhs of rupees. The two-day exhibition also featured stamps featuring different materials such as silk or pearl, collections from the erstwhile kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore, and several other interesting exhibits. The show, which is on at Sahrudaya auditorium near Ponnurunni, concludes on Friday.
The debate continues
Kiss of Love, the protest staged in Kochi against moral policing, continues to create ripples in the social sphere of Kerala.
After youths across various cities staging similar protests and actor Mohanlal coming in support of the agitation, Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany has joined the debate with the actor.
While opposing moral policing and the unlawful curtailing of the personal rights, Mr. Chammany questioned the actor’s position on various socio-political issues.
“The students from our families should not be trapped in parks and parlours. They should strive to fulfil the wishes and dreams of their parents. The agitations like Kiss of Love will create wrong notions about life and responsibilities in the minds of children,” said Mr. Chammany. Describing the mode of agitation adopted by the participants of Kiss of Love as a regressive tendency, Mr. Chammany said the views expressed by the actor in his blog were being used for the propagation of the regressive ideas.
