The 13th Biennial National Conference of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA) in collaboration with The Rationalist’s Forum, Tamil Nadu was successfully concluded recently at Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu from 28th to 29th December 2024. The National Executive Committee for the next two years was elected during the General Body meeting of ‘FIRA’.
The Chief office bearers elected are Dr. Narendra Nayak, (Mangalore, Karnataka) as President, Dr. Sudesh Ghoderao (Nashik, Maharashtra) as General Secretary and Sajith C (Kozhikode, Kerala) as Treasurer.
A total of 6 Vice-Presidents as E T Rao (Berhampur, Odisha), R Tamil Selvan (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Lal Salam (Trivandrum, Kerala), Harish Deshmukh (Nagpur, Maharashtra), J V Krishnaiya (Andhra Pradesh), Manoj Bansod (Gondia, Maharashtra) and a total of 6 Secretaries as B. Sambasiva Rao (Hyderabad, Telangana), M N Buddha (Andhra Pradesh), Mohan Viswanathan (Tamil Nadu), Gangadhar Sahoo, IAS (Bhubaneswar, Odisha), Ram Kumar (Punjab), Haribhau Pathode (Mumbai, Maharashtra) and 1 Organising Secretary – Thressia John (Kerala), 1 Office Secretary – Vijay Khanderao (Nashik, Maharashtra) and 6 Members as Iringal Krishnan (Kerala), M S N Murthy (Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh), Basanti Acharya (Bhubaneswar, Odisha), Monica Shridhar Puramshetty (Telangana), Mamta Nayak (Bangalore, Karnataka), Mayur Shetty (Mangalore, Karnataka) and well-known rationalist and writer Dr Dhaneswar Sahoo (Bhubaneswar, Odisha) as the Patron of the FIRA.
This two-day 13th Biennial Conference was organized to mark 100 years of the ‘Self Respect Movement’ started by the famous social reformer Ramsamy Periyar in the state of Tamil Nadu. In four different sessions of the conference, discussions were held on ‘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’. The organizations affiliated to FIRA presented their activity reports in the organizational session. The representatives of various states participating in the conference have also visited the premises of ‘Periyar World’ and planted trees collectively.
This conference was organized under the guidance of Dr K Veeramani, Leader, Dravidar Kazhagam and Patron of The Rationalists Forum, Dr Narendra Nayak, President, FIRA and Dr Sudesh Ghoderao, General Secretary, FIRA by R Tamil Selvan, President, Mohan Viswanathan, Secretary, both of The Rationalists Forum and Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary of The Rationalist Writers Forum and all office bearers of The Rationalists Forum, Tamil Nadu. More than 1000 representatives from various social movements of the country participated in the conference.
English Press Note National Executive Committee of FIRA
National Executive Committee of FIRA ( From 29 Dec 2024 - for next 2 years)