Personalities 1973

The details of this series of Personalities depicted on the three stamps on the FDC are given below :

(50P) Vithalbhai Patel was born on September 27, 1873 in Karmasad in Gujarat. After early education at Karmasad and Nadiad, Vithalbhai went to Bombay and qualified for district pleadership. In a few years he became a well known lawyer with considerable practice. His younger brother, Vallabhbhai followed his footsteps. After his return from England in 1908, as a barrister, Vithalbhai practiced in Bombay. Two years later after he lost his wife, he devoted himself entirely to public affairs. He was President of the Bombay Corporation and later he was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council as a representative of local self-governing bodies.

(30P) Ranjitsinhji (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933), often known as Ranji, was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933, as Maharaja Jam Sahib, and a noted Test cricketer who played for the English cricket team. He also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, and county cricket for Sussex. Ranji is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. Neville Cardus described him as "the Midsummer night's dream of cricket". Unorthodox in technique and with fast reactions, he brought a new style to batting and revolutionised the game. Previously, batsmen had generally pushed forward; Ranji took advantage of the improving quality of pitches in his era and played more on the back foot, both in defence and attack. He is particularly associated with one shot, the leg glance, which he invented or popularised. The first-class cricket tournament in India, the Ranji Trophy, was named in his honour and inaugurated in 1935 by the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. His nephew Duleepsinhji followed Ranji's path as a batsman playing first-class cricket in England and for the England cricket team.

Away from cricket, Ranji became Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar in 1907. He was later Chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes, and represented India at the League of Nations. His official title was Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji, Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, GCSI, GBE.

The main cricket championship in India is named after him, namely the Ranji Trophy.

(20P) Romesh Chunder Dutt, CIE  was an Indian civil servant, economic historian, writer, and translator of Ramayana and Mahabharata. He was active in moderate nationalist politics and was an active Congressman in that party's initial phase. He was president of the Indian National Congress in 1899.