Holding a Torch to a Great Man

The Kochi-based Arvind Kumar Pai has one of the largest collections of Mahatma Gandhi stamps in the country. He talks about his passion
Photos by Ratheesh Sundaram
The words, when read clockwise, went like this: Apostle of Non-Violence/1869/Mahatma Gandhi/1948. At the top are the words, 'Champion of Liberty'. Arvind got this from a philatelist in Thiruvananthapuram. “Most of the stamps that I get from abroad have been sent by friends,” he says. “All of them know about my passion.”
“In 2009, the United Nations declared Gandhi’s birthday, October 2, as the International Day for Non Violence,” says Arvind. “They also released a stamp, which I have in my collection.”
There were many youngsters too. “They asked me a lot of questions about Gandhi,” says Arvind. “Like, how is Gandhi relevant for them? Also, why do I collect only Gandhi stamps? In the end, the exhibition was a learning experience for them. They became aware of what a great man Mahatma Gandhi was and remains so.”