{"id":48042,"date":"2025-11-19T14:15:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T08:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/2025\/11\/19\/collector-prithwish-dasgupta-wins-vermeil-award-at-bongopex-2025-for-extraordinary-netaji-azad-hind-collection\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T14:15:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T08:45:40","slug":"collector-prithwish-dasgupta-wins-vermeil-award-at-bongopex-2025-for-extraordinary-netaji-azad-hind-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/2025\/11\/19\/collector-prithwish-dasgupta-wins-vermeil-award-at-bongopex-2025-for-extraordinary-netaji-azad-hind-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"Collector Prithwish Dasgupta Wins Vermeil Award at Bongopex 2025 for Extraordinary Netaji & Azad Hind Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Prithwish<\/p>\n

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 19: <\/strong>Celebrated Netaji and Azad Hind collector Prithwish Dasgupta has been awarded the prestigious Vermeil Award at the 10th Philatelic Exhibition Bongopex\u20132025, organised by the West Bengal Circle of the Department of Posts. The exhibition, held at Science City from 14 to 17 November, brought together philatelists from across West Bengal, Sikkim and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.<\/p>\n

Dasgupta, known nationally for his unparalleled research on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army (INA), impressed jurors with his rare and historically invaluable exhibit. With over twenty-five years of collecting experience, he presented one of the most comprehensive displays of Netaji\u2019s life, INA\u2019s military history and the material culture of Azad Hind.<\/p>\n

Handwritten Netaji Letters Draw Crowds<\/h3>\n

One of the most striking components of Dasgupta\u2019s award-winning entry was a collection of handwritten letters authored by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose between 1936 and 1939, during his period of British-imposed house arrest. Many of these letters carried the official markings \u201cCensored & Passed by the British Police\u201d, offering a direct glimpse into the surveillance and restrictions placed on Netaji by the colonial administration.<\/p>\n

Philatelists, historians and visitors described these letters as \u201cliving pieces of India\u2019s freedom struggle,\u201d and they formed an emotional centrepiece of the display.<\/p>\n

INA Medals Manufactured in Vienna: A Rare Highlight<\/h3>\n

A major attraction at Bongopex 2025 was Dasgupta\u2019s extraordinary collection of military decorations issued by the Provisional Government of Azad Hind. These medals were manufactured during World War II by Rudolf Souval, a renowned Vienna-based maker of German military decorations. Therefore each medal bears the embossed mark \u201cRUDOLF SOUVAL\u201d on the reverse.<\/p>\n

Dasgupta\u2019s collection includes almost every known variety of INA medals, such as the Sher-e-Hind (Grand Star), the highest military decoration conceived by Azad Hind; the Sardar-e-Jung (1st Class Star), regarded as the second-highest honour; the Vir-e-Hind (Warrior of India); the Shahid-e-Bharat Bronze, often compared to the modern Param Vir Chakra; and the Tamgha-e-Azadi and Tamgha-e-Bahadur, issued in gold, silver and bronze grades. Each of these medals is inscribed with \u201cIndiens Freiheitskampfe\u201d\u2014German for\u00a0India\u2019s Freedom Struggle<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Collectors described Dasgupta\u2019s display as one of the finest ever presented in India, especially since it included not only the medals but also the original presentation boxes and full sets of wartime ribbons.<\/p>\n

Philatelic Rarities: Azad Hind Postal Covers & Jumping Tiger Patch<\/h3>\n

The Vermeil-winning exhibit also showcased an extensive collection of Azad Hind postal material, including circulated and uncirculated covers, rare tricolour INA stamps depicting soldiers raising the Azad Hind flag, and extremely scarce wartime philatelic items issued in territories influenced by Netaji\u2019s movement.<\/p>\n

A highlight for military-history enthusiasts was a hand-embroidered \u201cFreies Indien\u201d Jumping Tiger shoulder patch, once worn by INA officers. The patch is considered one of the rarest artefacts linked to INA uniforms and is seldom seen in the Indian philatelic circuit.<\/p>\n

Dasgupta further displayed multiple covers sent to INA families in India from Rangoon, Malaya, Singapore and Burma after Independence, many adorned with hand-drawn portraits of Netaji. Experts remarked that this unique combination of postal history and patriotic art elevated the exhibit to museum-level significance.<\/p>\n

Post-Independence Memorabilia & Global Tributes to Netaji<\/h3>\n

The exhibit extended beyond wartime material and included First Day Covers, Special Covers, commemorative postcards and stamps issued in India after Independence, celebrating Netaji and the INA. Dasgupta also showcased global philatelic releases honouring Bose from countries across Europe and Asia, alongside rare INA currency used in Japanese-occupied Burma.<\/p>\n

Complementing the philatelic items was a curated selection of vintage matchboxes featuring Netaji\u2019s image, precious research publications by INA veterans, and badges and tokens issued by Netaji-inspired organisations in the decades following Independence.<\/p>\n

Collector Speaks on Preserving Netaji\u2019s Legacy<\/h3>\n

Speaking after receiving the Vermeil Award, Prithwish Dasgupta said that documenting Netaji\u2019s journey and the INA\u2019s sacrifices remains his life\u2019s mission. \u201cAny item connected with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose or the INA is precious and worthy of preservation. Collecting and conserving these materials is my way of honouring India\u2019s freedom struggle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With the honour at Bongopex 2025, Dasgupta has been widely acknowledged as one of India\u2019s foremost Netaji collectors and among the rare experts preserving the legacy of Azad Hind through authentic archival material. His work continues to contribute to historical research, public exhibitions and a deeper national understanding of one of India\u2019s most inspiring chapters.<\/p>\n

If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact pr.error.rectification@gmail.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 19: Celebrated Netaji and Azad Hind collector Prithwish Dasgupta has been awarded the prestigious Vermeil Award at the 10th Philatelic Exhibition Bongopex\u20132025, organised by the … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[682],"class_list":["post-48042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-lifestyle","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48042\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/financialtelegraph.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}