COMMEMORATIVE POSTAGE STAMP ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND JAPAN
Union Minister for Parliamentary
Affairs, Communications and IT, Shri Pramod Mahajan will release
a commemorative postage stamp on 50th Anniversary of
diplomatic relations between India and Japan at a function here
today.
Lord Buddha who gave the message
of peace and non-violence to the world also paved the way for
a special bond between India and Japan. For nearly 2500 years
the Japanese people have regarded India as a sacred country which
has been a source of inspiration to them, through the spirituality
of Buddhism. India has in its turn admired the phoenix like economic
reconstruction of Japan rising from the ashes of World War II.
Economic ties between the two countries became important during
the second half of the 19th century, with the export
of cotton and iron ore from India providing crucial inputs for
the industrialisation of Japan. There were also exchanges in the
cultural and political fields such as the meeting of India’s poet
Laureate Rabindranath Tagore with the Japanese philosopher Tenshin
Okakura and episodes from India’s National Movement concerning
leaders like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Ras Behari Bose, who
had close ties with Japan. The post independence era saw the formalising
of the friendship. Diplomatic relations between Japan and India
were established on April 28, 1952. India’s invitation to Japan
to participate in the first Asian Games in Delhi and the rousing
reception given to Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister
during his visit to Japan in 1957 were unmistakable signs of the
special cordiality that was emerging in the bilateral relations.
This has been sustained by an exchange of visits by dignitaries
of both countries at the highest levels over the years.
The scope and range of Indo-Japanese
relations have since widened to cover a variety of areas including
trade, investment, education, defence, science and technology,
information technology and culture. The common values shared by
the people of the two countries like liberty and parliamentary
democracy provide a sound basis to carry forward the constructive
partnership into the 21st century. Being two prominent
members of the world comity of nations, the potential of Indo-Japanese
friendship is not limited to bilateral relations but also extends
to their joint efforts for maintaining peace and security in the
international arena and addressing various issues of global concern.
First Day Cover alongwith information
sheet will be available on sale at all Philatelic Bureaux/Counters
and at selected Post Offices.
