Stamp of a Gentleman – Telegraph India

The yr 1971 was when Bangladesh was born, from the womb of prolonged strife and wrestle. On April 10, Bangladesh declared independence. On July 26, a set of eight Bangladesh stamps was exhibited to the worldwide media in London. On July 29, earlier than the fledgling nation gained worldwide recognition, Bangladesh — previously East Pakistan — took step one in direction of declaring its independence from Pakistan by issuing the eight stamps concurrently in all metros, the world over. On December 16, 1971, the Pakistani military left Bangladesh.  

These dates are well-known, however few keep in mind that these stamps had been designed free of charge by Biman Chand Mullick, a Howrah-born graphic designer, who had moved to London in 1960 and have become a citizen of the UK 29 years later.

Mullick has yet one more notable achievement. In 1969, his design for the Gandhi Centenary 12 months stamp turned the winner. This was the primary British stamp to commemorate an abroad chief and the primary designed by a international artist.

Londoners shouldn’t be shocked in the event that they discover this wiry, ever-smiling artist (born 1933), who changed into a long-distance runner at 50, working throughout snow-covered parks. Mullick has run distances throughout all of the seven continents “however only for the enjoyable and fervour of it” and accomplished the 26.2 mile London Marathon at 72. After I referred to as him on a Sunday morning, he was about to depart for an influence stroll. It was snowing.  

A widower — he misplaced his spouse, Aparajita, in 2020 — Mullick lives alone in Honor Oak Park. His daughter lives shut by. Other than being health aware — he campaigned tirelessly to give up smoking in instructional establishments, and finally in 2008 a legislation was handed banning it — he additionally feels strongly concerning the setting and its abuse. In 1971, he launched the Clear Air marketing campaign for which he gained a WHO award in 1988 together with Fidel Castro and Jimmy Carter.

His father, Ajit Kumar, was a Congress chief and a freedom fighter from Howrah, and Gandhiji, like different eminent political leaders similar to Jawaharlal Nehru (in 1942), had visited his home when he was an toddler in 1934.

Mullick’s grandfather, Dharani Dhar, who turned a rich man from humble beginnings, began celebrating Durga Puja at his Joynarayan Babu Ananda Dutta Lane home in Howrah in 1902, and the custom has nonetheless been saved alive by his descendants.

Mullick, who’s one in every of 11 siblings, went to the college arrange by his father in his personal home. At a younger age, he turned an achieved self-taught artist. He was not a lot interested by increased research and scraped via school. His pursuits lay elsewhere — poetry, literature and artwork. He loved his loneliness when he sojourned for three-four years on the family-owned Kaolin mines in Bhonda (now in Jharkhand). This was throughout the Give up India motion and the Japanese bombing scare in Calcutta throughout World Warfare II. Mullick additionally beloved enhancing his school magazines and in 1954, on his personal steam, he introduced out a Durga Puja journal titled Kakoli. Equally at residence in his vernacular and English, Mullick contributed an article in Bengali to the memento celebrating the centenary of his household Durga puja in 2002, and in 2016 he revealed his memoirs titled Durer Durga.

Mullick labored for a while at his uncle’s workplace, the place, because the self-appointed promoting supervisor, he had created some advert campaigns. When he didn’t land jobs in Calcutta, he was in some way satisfied that the UK was simply the place for him. So he set sail and landed in London with £2 in hand. He joined the St. Martin’s Faculty of Artwork, the place he was chosen from amongst different candidates. Since he was already a talented draughtsman, the four-year course was condensed to 2. Two years later, he was advised he must full all 4. He wasn’t even thought of for the grant others loved. He needed to work as a porter at J. Lyons & Firm, a widely known tea home, within the evenings to pay his charges. Of the 27 college students, three handed. Mullick stood first. “Maybe due to my originality,” he feedback.

He hitchhiked to Geneva and labored in a design studio. His previous buddy, litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay, met him there. However quickly sufficient he chucked his job because it wasn’t difficult sufficient.

Again in London in 1964, Oxford College Press sought him out for instance a guide titled India and Her Neighbours. Flush with the fortune he made — £750 — he returned to Howrah in 1966, bought married and was again in London a yr later along with his spouse Aparajita. Between jobs, in 1969 the Publish Workplace requested him to affix a contest to design a Gandhi stamp. His entry featured the Indian Tricolour within the background. His design was the winner.

Mullick illustrated the guide Myths and Legends of India whereas educating at an artwork college. In 1971, John Stonehouse, who was the postmaster-general of the UK, within the presence of Bangladesh spokesman Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, requested Mullick to design with out a charge the primary postage stamps of the nation that was birthing. Mullick had solely three months in hand, however when he confirmed the designs to Stonehouse and Chowdhury, the previous quipped, “You’re a Gentleman.”

Chowdhury was referring to the English artist and really prolific designer of 103 British stamps — David Gentleman.