I was part of a beautiful concept initiated by Roshan Prasad, our renowned philatelist from Singtam, to reinstall a neglected post box lying near the old post office building at the heart of the bazaar.
In a unique event, the
members of the Sikkim Philatelic and Numismatic Society added a page to the map
of the world’s postal history when they removed the neglected post box, gave it
new colours, and permanently installed it near the water fountain as a Heritage
Post Box. An earlier Sikkim postal cancellation mark, along with details about the establishment of the Post Office in Singtam in 1903, was inscribed on the stone slab beneath the base of the Post Box. The first of its kind in Sikkim,
it proudly stands among one of the few of its sort in India and the world.
KN Rai, then Speaker of
the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, inaugurated the Heritage Box at the event
Inspire 2017 – A Hobby Fest, which coincided with the 12th anniversary of
the Sikkim Philatelic and Numismatic Society's formation. An exhibition on hobbies
was held at Bihari Dharamsala, Singtam, on May 30, 2017 — the first Hobby Fest
of Sikkim. Inspire 2017 showcased a diverse array of items, including stamps, coins, banknotes,
antiques, matchbox collections, autographs, old newspapers, identity cards, and
button flowers. Three years passed, and we received numerous calls of
appreciation; our photograph of the Heritage Post Box of Singtam was published
in various philatelic magazines worldwide. We simply aimed to place Singtam's
name on the world map. We succeeded today, but it wasn't as easy as it
seemed.
Two days before the
event, at the site where we had decided to install the Heritage Post Box near
the water fountain, despite obtaining permission from the Area MLA, Singtam
Police Station, and the Singtam Nagar Panchayat, we were prevented from doing
so. We wished for passers-by to see the Post Box and feel proud of Singtam's
century-old postal history.
A significant section of the crowd approached and called our Heritage Post Box a ‘dustbin’—the term used in their accusations—and demanded it be removed. Among them were a few compassionate individuals who spoke out in support of our cause. Eventually, after a few hours of uproar, we were compelled to shift our structure to the corner behind a paan dokan. The crowd justified this action, claiming the structure would disturb their wedding function on the way to Bihari Dharamsala. Yet today, in that very spot, we find a Police Signboard for 'No Parking' – and that same crowd was present to commend the efforts of the Police Station in placing the 'No Parking' Signboard.
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