Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, on January 28 at Thiruvananthapuram, said that ‘Hindu’ is a geographical term and those born and living in Bharat are Hindus. He said Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan told the same during the British regime while speaking on the occasion of a reception accorded to him by Arya Samaj. Governor was inaugurating the Hindu Conclave, Kerala Hindus of North America (KHNA), organised in the state capital. He added that our activities should be based on Hindu values. Even though there were several ancient civilisations in different parts of the world, the Bharatiya civilisation is the only one which remains with all feathers intact. Swami Vivekananda said that those who live for others always command respect.
Governor Khan presented Arsha Dharma Puraskar to Sreekumaran Thampi, a renowned poet, lyricist and filmmaker.
Speaking on occasion, Sreekumaran Thampi said that there are ignorant blokes who keep saying that Sanatana Dharma is nothing but a conglomerate of superstitions. He said: “Come what may, Sanatana Dharma-baiters may say what they want, they can boycott me, but, no force on earth can detach me from Sanatana Dharma.” He sprinkled humorous sarcasm that if “they” boycott himself (Thampi), Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri and Prof. V. Madhusoodanan Nair, our life would be “miserable”! He was referring to poet Sachidanandan’s (former secretary of Kendra Sahithya Academy) call for the boycott of leftist artists who participate in the Conclave. Accordingly, acknowledged filmmaker and Left fellow traveller Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Press Secretary Prabha Varma did not turn up. Thampi lambasted some self-styled writers who came out with the call to “boycott”. He ridiculed them as the people who enjoy euphoria in singing their poems. He did not name Sachidanandan (even though he meant him).
KHNA President G.K. Pillai presided. Prof. V. Madhusoodanan Nair (poet), the famous poet and lyricist Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, Hindu Aikya Vedi president K.P. Sasikala Teacher, VHP State President Viji Thampi, Acharya Manoj of Arsha Vidya Samaj, Sri Sakthi Santhananda Maharshi, Shiv Sena Pramukh M.S. Bhuvanachandran, Anil Nambiar of Janam TV and BJP leaders Sandeep Vachaspati and Sandeep Varier, HNA Trust Board Chairman Dr Ramdas Pillai and Renjith Pillai spoke on occasion.
