Pin code MH-1718: In Antarctica, a post office with Indian address

Since then, for more than 35 years, letters and postcards in blank envelopes are sent — mostly by philatelists, collectors and hobbyists — to the Maitri post office for ‘cancellation’. The impression, ‘Maitri North Goa’, from the Antarctic research base is a famed “collector’s item”.

Almost four decades later, letters meant for Antarctica will now have a new PIN code, MH-1718, with the Department of Posts opening a second branch of the post office on Bharati research station in Antarctica. The code currently assigned is “experimental”, which is the norm when a new branch begins, officials said.

India’s two research bases on Antarctica — Maitri and Bharati — are located 3,000 km apart. Notably, both branches are part of the Goa postal division.

“In practice, the letters meant for the post office in Antarctica are sent to the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), the nodal agency for India’s polar expeditions, in Goa. When a scientific expedition to the continent leaves from the NCPOR, a researcher is usually tasked with carrying the consignment of letters. At the research base, the letters are ‘cancelled’, brought back, and returned via post,” said an official from the Department of Posts.

Officials said ‘cancellation’ is a marking on a postage stamp or stationery done to deface the stamp and prevent reuse. Typically, ‘cancelled’ letters include the date and post office location where the stamps were mailed. For collectors, they are crucial to determine value of stamps.

M Sudhakar, former scientist, NCPOR, elaborated on another reason why the post office is significant. He said Antarctica is governed by the Atlantic Treaty, which puts aside territorial claims by any country, and prohibits military activity or nuclear testing and underlines that the continent can only be used for scientific exploration.

“Typically, an Indian post office can only be in the jurisdiction of Indian land. Antarctica gives a unique opportunity to have an Indian post office in a land which is foreign and does not belong to us. So, it serves a strategic purpose in terms of asserting presence on the continent,” he said.

On the occasion, joining via video conferencing, Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra circle, K K Sharma made an appeal to the scientists in Antarctica to continue to post letters back home to their families and friends.

“There is always a lot of excitement about these post offices (in remote locations). Nowadays with WhatsApp and Twitter, all this (technology) has taken over. But, nothing can beat the written word. Particularly, when you are sitting so far from your family. I would request that you please make use of this fantastic opportunity, and write letters to your loved ones… You can create memories and they will stay with you in physical form. All these e-formats get erased fast, but you can look at a letter years later and it will take you back to those memories,” said Sharma.

A majority of the mail to India’s post office branches in Antarctica is driven by philately enthusiasts and collectors.

R P Patil, Director, Postal Services, Goa region, said, “Collectors of postage stamps see it as a rare opportunity to collect the ‘impression’ of a stamp from a remote post-office location. There is always a high demand from philatelists for cancellation of letters.”

Dr Thamban Meloth, Director, NCPOR Goa, said, “For anyone going to Antarctica, getting a postal stamp is an experience. There is always a high demand for these among the philately community.”