File photo of Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The government will release stamps on Ramayana, Mahabharata, besides honouring freedom fighters like Batukeshwar Dutt, Sukhdev, Ashfaqullah Khan and legendary artists Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar, among others."I have discussed it with Philately board. Country's great cultural concepts should be respected," Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, while releasing a commemorative stamp on women empowerment."If someone wants stamp of Subhash Chandra Bose or Bhagat Singh it should be available at post offices," the minister said.He said that he has directed postal departments to make available stamps of prominent personalities for regular use across post offices in the country.The government will also release stamp of Communist leader and former parliamentarian Bhupesh Gupta following a request from Communist Party of India.Mr Prasad said that stamps of Sukhdev, Batukeshwar Dutt, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil, Bagha Jatin and Khudiram Bose will be released.The stamps of Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and other freedom fighters will be available for regular use, he said.BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who was present on the occasion, said women did not have power to franchise in developed countries like the US and Switzerland for many years but India gave them this power the day it achieved independence.