DR. ANNIE BESANT As one look back to the decades of India's long struggle for freedom, few names stand out with greater glory of distinction than Dr. Annie Besant's. For forty years, from 1893 when she first landed in India until the moment of her death in 1933, she laboured for India's advancement in every sphere of activity - educational, social, religious and political - with single minded devotion and rare dedication. She was gifted with a prodigious intellect, tremendous organisational capacity, a courage of conviction which defied every penalty and obstacle, and a warm and generous heart. All these were placed without stint or hesitation at India's disposal.

For the first twenty years of her life in India, from 1893 to the commencement of the First World War, Mrs. Besant devoted all her energies and resources to the building up of the Central Hindu College at Varanasi, which later became the foundation on which Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya reared the Varanasi Hindu University. In collaboration with the distinguished Indian Philosopher, Dr. Bhagvan Das, she translated the Bhagvad Gita into English, so as to make this priceless treasure accessible to millions who did not know Sanskrit.

During this part of her Indian career, Mrs. Besant did her best to revive respect for the ancient teachings of Hinduism and the other great faith, which have their votaries in this country. Mrs. Besant was not content with merely proclaimed the goal of home rule for India as a unit in British Commonwealth. At the end of the first world war, she declared in London before a Parliamentarian Committee that India could not accept for all time a Constitution rammed for her by the British Government in London. She proceeded, with the warm support of men like Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and the Rt. Hon'ble V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, to have a Constitution for India as a full-fledged Dominion prepared through a National Convention. The measure, described later as "The Commonwealth of India Bill", was supported by several leading Indian statesmen. Though the Commonwealth of India Bill made no Furth progress, the seed thus sown was destined to bear fruit at a later stage. India's Constitution assembly, which was brought into being at the end of second world war in 1946, perhaps owned its original impulse in some measure to the joint efforts initiated a quarter of a century earlier by Mrs. Besant and Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru.

Though Mrs. Besant passed away nearly three decades ago, her spirit still presides over many of India's institutions. The ideals which she preached during her life-time are now materialising in the world of practical realities. Looking back over the long period of preparation for freedom and its final achievement, one can only marked at the incredible record of Mrs. Besant's services to India spread over a period of forty years.

The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department has great pleasure in bringing out a special stamp to honour this great lady.

Designed and produced by the Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity, Ministry of I. & B., Govt. of India, for the D.G.P.& T. and printed by the General Manager, Govt. of India Press, New Delhi.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India