On his 79th birthday, an autobiography of atheist social reformer B Ramchandra CST Voltaire was released on March 17 here by eminent writers and columnists Dr Bhagaban Prakash, Prof Biswaranjan, Prof Jitendra Narayan Dash, Dr BidhupravaRath and Bandana Mishra. AMOFOI president Manas Jena chaired the function.
Voltaire said that for lack of free thought in India, more so in Odisha, caste has remained as an obstacle for ensuring social justice.
Dr Bhagan Prakash, an ex-Advisor to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, regretted that caste, Gotra, Rasi, Naxatra and other such particulars are being highlighted in matrimonial advisements.
Prof Biswaranjan and Prof Jitendra Dash pleaded that humanistic casteless education, if properly spread out among the students all over India and if there is total social freedom for love marriages of youths, then within a few years the caste system would get crumbled.
Others who spoke included Dr BidhupravaRath, author of political novel “Bhagat Singh”, writer Bandana Mishra, historian Dr Hemanta Kumar Parija and Marxist leader BanshidharParida
Manas Jena expressed his deep anguish that educated Indians who are going to the USA for better jobs are also acting according to their caste prejudices and conducting marriages of their children in the old-fashioned way even in a far of land. HE argued that “atheistic humanism” being emphasised upon by AMOFOI founder Voltaire, must be popularised in India and abroad.
AMOFOI cofounder SwapnaBijayini offered a vote of thanks. Among others, poet BanamaliBarik, social worker PratimaSahoo and Freethought Party of India vice-president Harish Chandra Kar attended the function.