City NGO designs stamp to honour St Teresa

The stamp has been designed by the Madhuram Narayanan Centre for Exceptional Children (MNC), a centre that was blessed by the Saint during its inauguration in 1992. The special cover and stamp will be released by Radhika Chakravarthy, Post Master General, Chennai City Region.  S . Krishnan, Advisor, MNC, said the organisation was launched in 1994 in Kolkata by Mother Teresa, since she was unable to travel to Chennai. 

“The founders, Marshal V. Krishnaswamy, his wife Jaya and Prof P Jayachandran, had done intensive research and created a program for children with intellectual difficulties such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and set up a development centre in Chennai. Mother Teresa launched it in Kolkata at the Chemplast Sanmar Office on July 27, 1992,” he said. “We approached the Post Master General of Chennai and they readily agreed to our request. The design by MNC was done, taking into consideration the specifications outlined by the Postal Department, which had put a stamp of approval.  The stamp will be sold at Rs 5 while the postal cover will be priced at Rs 10,” he added. 

The Saint’s words during the momentous occasion have been carefully documented by the organisation. Blessing the venture, Mother Teresa had said, “Your little one is a gift of God given to you and the whole family. You should show great love and care for the child and help other little children. When they see that you love your child and take care of your child, it will be a beautiful example of love for all to see and to present to their children. I will pray for you all.” Stamps like these, said Krishnan, are in big demand. “I remember the time when the stamp commemorating Dr A P J Abdul Kalam was released. People were willing to buy it for Rs 5,000 and more and dedicating it to charity. The stamps are available at MNC and if people want to purchase it for a higher amount for charity, that is also possible,” he concluded.