Customs Stamp Released - But does anyone remember Customs Olympian?
YESTERDAY, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal released a postage stamp to commemorate 50 years of Indian Customs in the presence of Revenue MoS Palanimanickam, CBEC Chairman Goel and all Members of the CBEC. The MoS released a Coffee Table book on Indian Customs titled "Anything to Declare"
In 1882, Oscar Wilde arrived at New York Harbour. Asked by a U. S. Customs official if he had anything to declare, he famously replied,"I have nothing to declare but my genius."
While these fashionable celebrations are going on, we are reminded of a sad story of a great Customs Officer languishing in an obscure corner of a Kolkata colony.
Steven L D'Souza, a former Additional Commissioner in Customs Department reminds us that Leslie Claudius, the legendary hockey player was a gold medallist in 1948 London Olympics. He went on to win Gold in Helsinki in 1952 and in Melbourne in 1956 and a silver in Rome in 1960. There are only two Indians who have three Olympic Gold medals.
Claudius joined the Indian Customs in 1949 and retired as Assistant Collector in 1984. He was meant to bring glory to the nation, but faced several personal problems - his Olympic medals were stolen; his son, also a Hockey player died in an accident - he lives in a rented house with bad health as his companion.
LESLIE_CLAUDIUS — the image was hosted by the publisher and was not captured.In London, they have named a Metro Station after Leslie Claudius, but here in India, nobody remembers him and what better picture the Customs could have got for their stamp than that of Leslie?. Leslie Claudius, a Padmasri awardee is not remembered by Customs, while they celebrate fifty years of the Customs Act, especially when the Olympic games are under way.
Leslie is 85 years old - he brought laurels to the Country and Customs - He may live for another few years. Shouldn't the Customs Department take care of him and honour him in the December of his life. There is lot of money in the Welfare Fund; can't they buy a house for him from the fund?; can't they give him a good allowance for the rest of his life?
Any celebration is shameful when we have a legendary hero of our family in penury.