Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh today launched postal stamps in honor of legendary Ghazal singer late Shri Jagjit Singh. The event held at the PM House in New Delhi was attended by many government officials, cabinet ministers, Jagjit Singh's wife Mrs. Chitra Singh and grandson, Mr. Armaan Chowdhury. The event was held to mark what would have been Jagjit Singh's 73rd birthday. The postal department released a set of 2 stamps in denominations of ₹5 and ₹20.
This is the second instance of a double stamp release by the Postal Department - the first one being in honour of Mahatma Gandhi.
On the occasion Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh said " There is a special place for Shri Jagjit Singh in the history of music in India. I am glad to release a commemorative stamp in his honor. He is not among us today but his magical voice and music will continue to have an impact on us." Remembering him fondly, he further added "He was a unique artist and excelled in all genres of music, but he will be remembered the most for his ghazals."
Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal, was quoted saying that Jagjit Singh's songs have been able to move generations and will continue to do so. "He composed songs for several films and generations get swayed away and mesmerized by those timeless songs."
Jagjit Singh, who was famous for his very special style of ghazal and his deep soulful voice, passed away in October, 2011. Mr. Armaan Chowdhury, grandson of the late singer, remembered his grandfather fondly. "His passing is being mourned by millions, ranging from our gardener to the President of our country. That, in itself, reflects on the broad spectrum of hearts he has touched in his lifetime. He was an extremely giving individual, supported various charitable institutions and did his part outside the realm of material generosity as well. I would be forever grateful if I grew to be half the man he was. God bless his soul."
Jagjit Singh is remembered for many of his famous gazals like 'Kagaz ki Kashti', 'Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh' and many more. He certainly carved a permanent place in the hearts of music lovers from across the world and generations. He garnered several accolades in his illustrious career and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2003
