Paris: In a historic tribute, France has released a postage stamp honoring Noor Inayat Khan, an Indian woman and descendant of 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan. She served as an undercover British agent during the World War II, working fearlessly with the French Resistance to fight Nazi Germany. She is now the only woman of Indian origin to be immortalised on a French commemorative stamp.
Why France Honored Her
The French postal service, La Poste, issued the stamp as part of a series titled ‘Figures of the Resistance’, which recognises the braves who fought against Nazi oppression.
Noor is among a dozen persons featured in this release, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Shrabani Basu, the London-based author of ‘Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan’, said, “I am thrilled that France has honoured Noor with a postage stamp, especially on this important 80th anniversary. She sacrificed her life in the fight against fascism. Seeing her face on a stamp, representing her bravery in Paris, is truly moving.”
Recognition In Britain, France
Each stamp features an etched portrait of Noor in her British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) uniform. Basu added, “Britain had honoured her in 2014 on her centenary. Now, with stamps issued by both Britain and France, her legacy is being recognised internationally. It is time India, her ancestral homeland, honours her with a stamp as well.”
The Making Of A Spy
Noor was born in Moscow in 1914 to an Indian Sufi saint father and an American mother. She moved to London as a child and later lived in Paris during her school years.
After France fell to Nazi occupation, her family fled to England, where she joined the WAAF. On February 8, 1943, she was recruited by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a British secret service created to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied territories.
Captured And Killed By Nazi Forces
In June 1943, she became the first female radio operator to enter occupied France. She was eventually captured by Nazi forces and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where she was tortured and executed on September 13, 1944, at the age of 30.
For her extraordinary bravery, she was posthumously awarded the French Resistance Medal and the Croix de Guerre, France’s highest civilian honour. Britain also honoured her with the George Cross (GC).
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