The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Call to study history of freedom movement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 10, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Call to study history of freedom movement

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, APRIL 9. The Congress leader Vayalar Ravi, MP, has said that the history of Indian national movement for independence should be studied by all people irrespective of their political stands.

Inaugurating a seminar on `Congress and Indian Renaissance,' held in connection with the 75th anniversary of Dandi March here on Saturday, Mr. Ravi said the biggest social contribution of the Independence Movement was the idea of secularism gaining roots in the Indian psyche. He pointed out that Gandhiji's political strategy was to unite society and inculcate a feeling of oneness in people.

Mr. Ravi decried the recent trend of the affluent class entering the national politics as this would prove detrimental to the country's interests. At least 20 or 25 Members of Parliament belonged to the rich class, pointed out Mr. Ravi.

Whatever drawbacks the Indian system of democracy had, its biggest strength is that democracy still prevails here whereas many countries which became independent at that time had come under military rule later, Mr. Ravi said. The biggest strength of Indian democracy is that it was derived from the people, he added.

The KPCC president, Thennala Balakrishna Pillai, who presided over the seminar, urged the new generation to familiarise themselves with the history of the Independence Movement.

Noted historian M.G. S. Narayanan, who presented the topic, said India's freedom struggle was unique in that it was achieved without wielding weapons. It was the first such struggle all over the world that was won by the might of the people alone. But, unfortunately, no attempt has been made to give this struggle the study and analysis that it deserves in history, he said.

The freedom struggle did not spring out from military power or from political power overnight. The real origins of it was from the social reawakening that took place all over the country from the second half of the 19th century, said Dr. Narayanan.

K.S. Radhakrishnan, Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit, Kalady, presented a paper. The KPCC vice-president, A.C. Jose, and the DCC president, K.P. Dhanapalan, also spoke.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section

Confusion prevails at traffic intersections

Plea to draw up suburban auto fare list

Call to study history of freedom movement

Printers seek abolition of entry tax

Two-day meet on diabetic therapy begins

`Avoid row over immersion of Vijayan's ashes'

Plan to oppose Coke operations

Around the City

In Kochi Today