KANNUR: The concluding meet of the observance of the centenary of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai’s exile was inaugurated by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan here on Sunday.
The Chief Minister said that Swadeshabhimani was a revolutionary who had to leave his native land for holding aloft the high ideals of freedom of the press. “Those calling upon the mediapersons to follow the ideals of Swadeshabhimani, also have the responsibility to tell the owners of the newspapers to follow the example Vakkom Abdulkhader Moulavi,” he added.
Journalists should strive to live up to the ideals of Swadeshabhimani who said ‘even when God makes a mistake, I would report it’, said the Chief Minister.
He released the re-printed edition of ‘Ente Nadukadathal’ written by Swadeshabhimani, by presenting a copy to K Ramakrishnan, grandson of Swadeshabhimani.
PWD Minister M Vijayakumar presided over the programme. Sheela Thomas presented a report. Minister of State for Railways E Ahmed, who addressed the meet, said that Swadeshabhimani was a pioneer in the field of journalism. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said it was owing to the sacrifices made by the Swadeshabhimani that democracy flourished in the country.
Devaswom Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran, Revenue Minister K P Rajendran and legislators M Prakasan and A P Abdullakutty addressed the function.
The programmes began with the Chief Minister offering floral tributes at the memorial column of Swadeshabhimani on the Payyambalam Beach on Sunday morning. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, K Sudhakaran MP and MLAs A P Abdullakutty, M Prakasan and K P Mohanan, and Swadeshabhimani’s granddaughter Ambika were present.A media seminar held as part of the programmes was inaugurated by historian
K N Panicker.