Commemorative Coins Journey of history, that never ends

U N ANNIVERSARY

INTRODUCTION

Twenty-live years ago, the United Nations was founded to meet a challenge: that of saving coming generations from the scourge of war : of reaffirming our faith in fundamental human rights for all without regard to race or colour : of ensuring justice and respect for international law and of promoting social pro­gress and better standards of life for all.
            
            In the twenty-live years of its existence, much has been done to achieve these objec­tives, but much more remains to be done. As our President has stated very aptly, there is a feeling that the gulf between promise and fulfilment is widening. There is in the world today a vast and unprecedented yearning for peace, freedom, economic and social justice. This is the trend for the future and these de­mands have to be met quickly if we are not to be swept off our feet. It is a little tragic to contemplate that while man is able to make a giant leap across the void of space to the moon, he finds it difficult to bridge the yawning gap between rich and poor. To win the race to the moon but lose the race for a better life for all in the world would, as observed by our President, be a sad commentary on our civilisation. This is the task which confronts the U.N. and this is the task which we feel confi­dent the U.N. can surmount, given the co­operation and goodwill of all the nations.

For us in India, the U.N. represents our hopes and aspirations for several centuries. We have been conditioned by our history, cultural traditions and philosophical concepts to stress the importance of peace. This yearn­ing springs from our sorrows and tribulations in the past. As our Prime Minister recalled in her address to the General Assembly of the U.N. last year, there is an ancient Vcdic prayer which symbolises the spirit which must actuate the U.N. family.

“Common be your prayer
              Common be your end
              Common be your purpose
              Common be your deliberation
              Common be your desires
              Unified be your intentions
              Unified be your intentions
              Perfect be the union among you.”

It was in our country, where the great Ashoka renounced war as an instrument of national policy at the moment of his greatest victroy. It was again our land which produced the great Buddha, who preached peace and under­standing among all mankind. It was again our country which gave birth to the foremost apostle of peace in modern times, Mahatma Gandhi, whose centenary was celebrated only Jast year.

For the P.&T. Departments, all over the world, the U.N. represents a great step forward in the culmination of our ideal for one World. The Universal Postal Union and the Interna­tional Telecommunications Union were the earliest International Organisations founded on this concept and were in this sense, the fore-runners of the U.N. The U.N. has yet to achieve in the broader context what is the basis for the international exchange ol" mails, of all the countries of the world form­ing one single territory, over the entire length and breadth of which is assured full freedom of transit for the mails of all nations.

The Indian P.&T. Department feels privile­ged to issue a special postage stamp to mark this unique occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of this great World Institution.

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