Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, said that the government will launch a postal stamp in honour of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. Speaking at the BT Budget Roundtable 2022, when asked if there will be a postal stamp for the singer, the minister answered in the affirmative.
When BT TV Managing Editor Siddharth Zarabi asked, “Will there be a postal stamp that you will be announcing for the great Lata Mangeshkar?”. “Definitely, yes,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Lata Mangeshar, also known as the Nightingale of India, passed away on February 6, at the age of 92 years. The Bharat Ratna awardee, after testing positive for COVID-19, was admitted to the hospital on January 8. Her health had gradually deteriorated and she was under intensive care for the past few weeks.
The government had also announced a two-day national mourning as a tribute to the singer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the demise of Lata Mangeshkar said, “I am anguished beyond words. The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people.”
President Ram Nath Kovind also called her an exceptional human being. “Lata-ji’s demise is heart-breaking for me, as it is for millions the world over. In her vast range of songs, rendering the essence and beauty of India, generations found expression of their inner-most emotions. A Bharat Ratna, Lata-ji’s accomplishments will remain incomparable. An artist born but once in centuries, Lata-didi was an exceptional human being, full of warmth, as I found whenever I met her. The divine voice has gone quiet forever but her melodies will remain immortal, echoing in eternity. My condolences to her family and admirers everywhere.”
BT Budget Roundtable 2022, held a week after Budget 2022, brings together the who's who of the economy, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, and former CEA Dr Arvind Subramanian.