Dr. Narendra Nayak elected President of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations
TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, TAMIL NADU: The 13th Biennial National Conference of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA), held in collaboration with The Rationalist’s Forum, Tamil Nadu, concluded successfully on December 29, 2024. The gathering, which took place on the 28th and 29th, marked a significant occasion where the National Executive Committee for the forthcoming two-year term (2024-2026) was elected during the General Body meeting.
Dr. Narendra Nayak from Mangalore, Karnataka, was elected as President, with Dr. Sudesh Ghoderao from Nashik, Maharashtra, assuming the role of General Secretary. Sajith C from Kozhikode, Kerala, has been appointed as the Treasurer of the committee.
In addition to the chief office bearers, the body also elected six Vice-Presidents: E.T. Rao (Berhampur, Odisha), R. Tamil Selvan (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Lal Salam (Trivandrum, Kerala), Harish Deshmukh (Nagpur, Maharashtra), J.V. Krishnaiya (Andhra Pradesh), and Manoj Bansod (Gondia, Maharashtra). The committee will also feature six Secretaries: B. Sambasiva Rao (Hyderabad, Telangana), M.N. Buddha (Andhra Pradesh), Mohan Viswanathan (Tamil Nadu), Gangadhar Sahoo, IAS (Bhubaneswar, Odisha), Ram Kumar (Punjab), and Haribhau Pathode (Mumbai, Maharashtra). Additional appointments include one Organising Secretary, Thressia John (Kerala), one Office Secretary, Vijay Khanderao (Nashik, Maharashtra), and six Members: Iringal Krishnan (Kerala), M.S.N. Murthy (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh), Basanti Acharya (Bhubaneswar, Odisha), Monica Shridhar Puramshetty (Telangana), Mamta Nayak (Bangalore, Karnataka), and Mayur Shetty (Mangalore, Karnataka). The honorary patronage of the committee has been bestowed upon the noted rationalist and writer Dr. Dhaneswar Sahoo from Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The conference was organized to commemorate the centenary of the ‘Self Respect Movement’ initiated by the illustrious social reformer Ramsamy Periyar in Tamil Nadu. Four distinct sessions were conducted during the two-day event, covering topics such as ‘100 Years of Periyar’s Self Respect Movement’, ‘Article 51 (A) (h) of the Constitution of India’, ‘Impact of India’s New Laws and Judiciary on Social Movements and Activists’, and ‘Women and Superstitions.’ Furthermore, FIRA-affiliated organizations presented their activity reports during the organizational session. Participants also participated in a collective tree-planting initiative during their visit to ‘Periyar World’.
The successful organization of this conference was made possible under the leadership and guidance of Dr. K. Veeramani, Leader of Dravidar Kazhagam and Patron of The Rationalists Forum, along with Dr. Narendra Nayak, President of FIRA, and Dr. Sudesh Ghoderao, General Secretary of FIRA. Key contributions from R. Tamil Selvan, President, and Mohan Viswanathan, Secretary of The Rationalists Forum, in collaboration with Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary of The Rationalist Writers Forum, were also instrumental. The event attracted over 1,000 representatives from diverse social movements across the nation, reinforcing the commitment of FIRA towards rationalism and social reform.
