Postal stamps on cricketers aren’t new in India. From Ranjitsinhji to Sachin Tendulkar, players of many generations have been honoured in this manner. But one cannot recall if many such initiatives have been taken to remember the contribution of players who never became India stars.
In a rare instance on December 21, the postal department unveiled a special first-day cover on Bengal captain late Gopal Bose. At a decently crowded programme at East Bengal Club, Postmaster General of Kolkata Anil Kumar released the cover. Among those present was Bose’s son Aurijit, who runs his business in Birmingham, England. An organisation called All India Sports Lovers and Welfare Association had approached the postal department, which agreed.
Bose had come very close to representing the country. In fact, he played an ODI against England in 1974. He was Sunil Gavaskar’s opening partner in a few unofficial Test matches against Sri Lanka. Later, he turned down offers to become the coach of the senior Bengal team and dedicated himself to grooming youngsters. Players like Devang Gandhi, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Ranadeb Bose and Nikhil Haldipur who all played for India or came close still swear by him.
“Yes, we do not usually issue stamps in the honour of cricketers or other athletes who have not made a mark at the international level. That way, this is an exception. But hopefully, a start has been made today. In future, we will have more like this,” said Kumar.
A first-day cover is not a stamp, it has no postal value. “But you can say this is the first step towards bringing out a full-fledged stamp. In future, there will eventually be a stamp on Bose,” added the postmaster general.
Known as someone unafraid of speaking his mind even if it meant being anti-establishment, Bose had many differences with administrators, including the late Jagmohan Dalmiya. His knowledge and commitment are still valued and he was made coach of the Bengal Under-19 and Under-16 teams on several occasions. He was the manager of Virat Kohli’s India Under-19 side which won the World Cup in 2008. His son Aurijit was also an opening batsman, although left-handed, and scored a century on his Ranji Trophy debut. Bose was visiting him in Birmingham in 2018 when he passed away. He was 71.
Bose was not just a cricket coach and there are many with different kinds of stories. Bowling coach of the senior and junior Bengal women’s teams, Shiv Sagar Singh came from an ordinary family in Durgapur. After spotting his talent at a trial in Kolkata when he was 17 years old, Bose took him to his own house and allowed him to stay there. “I still live there, with my wife and son. I am like his younger son,” said Singh, who had a successful career with Bengal as a left-arm spinner.
Gopal Bose's son Aurijit (extreme left) and Post Master General of Kolkata Anil Kumar (centre) at the releasing of a special first-day cover on the late Bengal cricketer
Rajarshi Chaudhuri could not make it to the Bengal side and played Ranji Trophy for Tripura. He runs a cricket coaching centre in London and recalls another story. “It was 1989 and I had scored a century in a club game. Gopalda was my coach and he asked me for a lift on my motorbike on the way back home. He was silent all along and had just said he wanted to go to GK Sports (a renowned sports goods shop on Park Street). I was asked to wait outside. He came out with two top-quality cricket shirts worth Rs 650 each those days. Told me, those were for me. That was Gopalda,” said Chaudhuri.
Selfless, committed to his cause and highly knowledgeable as acknowledged by Gavaskar himself, Bose is regarded as one of his kind. “There are many cricketers who received financial assistance from him. The best part about him was, he had zero greed. Had he been after plum positions, he could have chosen the path of appeasement. But that was not him,” said Singh. The postal department’s decision to honour Bose was not for his cricketing achievements. It was an effort to honour a man who touched so many lives and helped them make a mark.
Indian cricketers in postal stamps/special covers
Ranjit Sinhji, C.K. Nayudu, Vijay Merchant, D.B. Deodhar, Vinoo Mankad, D.K. Gaekwad, Sunil Gavaskar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Sachin Tendulkar, Jhulan Goswami. There was also one commemorating India’s Test series wins in West Indies and England in 1971, not on individuals.
Note: List not exhaustive