Sriprakash

August 3, 1991

A commemorative postage stamp on the Birth Centenary of Sri Prakash, 1^st Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan (1947-49) :

Issued by India

Issued on Aug 3, 1991

Description of Design : The stamp depicts the personality and the Kashi Vidyapith. The cancellation is prepared by Ms. Neenu Gupta.

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Single colour

Denomination : 200 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.

Printing Size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Indigenous Un W/M Gravure Coated Stamp Paper

Number Printed : 6,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printed : India Security Press

Name : Sriprakash

Born on Aug 3, 1890 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died on Jun 23, 1971

About :

Sriprakash was born on 3^rd of August 1890 at Varanasi in the illustrious Sah family reputed for its affluence, philanthropy and learning. His father Dr. Bhagavan Das was a renowned philosopher, thinker and writer who was awarded the Bharat Ratna. The liberal ideas of his father deeply influenced Sriprakash and he emerged as a noted rational thinker. Sriprakash was also deeply influenced by Mrs. Annie Besant and joined the Theosophical Society in 1911. He was also a close friend of Jawaharlal Nehru.
He graduated from the University of Allahabad in 1911 and then proceeded for further studies to Cambridge where he obtained the History Tripos in 1913 and Law Tripos the following year.
On his return to India, Sriprakash was drawn into India‘s struggle for independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. He became a member of the AICC in 1918 and actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921, Salt Satyagraha in 1930, the Individual Civil Obedience Movement in 1941 and the Quit India Movement in 1942. He suffered imprisonment and detention for his participation in these movements.
Besides being a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, Sriprakash held many public offices in post-independent India. He served as a Cabinet Minister, High Commissioner to Pakistan (1947-49), Governor of Assam (1949-50) and Bombay State (later Maharashtra) (1956-62).
Sriprakash laid equal stress on moral and spiritual advancement of the country along with material betterment. Along with his father, he was one of the founders of the Kashi Vidyapith, the then premier institute of national education in India. Sriprakash taught at the Vidyapith from its inception in 1921 till 1947. He was appointed the Chancellor of the Vidyapith in 1969.
Sriprakash was a prolific writer and wrote over two dozen books on ethics, civics, politics, his own experiences and biographies. His eminent services to public causes in various fields were given befitting recognition when he was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 1957. He breathed his last on 23^rd June, 1971.
Text : Courtesy Sriprakash Smarak Samiti and Dictionary of National Biography, edited by S.P. Sen.