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Book
Review
A
RATIONALIST REMEMBERS
 Veteran
Congress leader and 81-year old former Union Minister, Shri
Vasant Sathe has attained the stage of Maharshi Dadhichi
by announcing to donate his body after his death.
Shri
Sathe expressed this view in his autobiography _ `Memoirs
of a Rationalist,' which was released here on 5th
March, 2005, by former President of India, Shri R. Venkatraman
on the occasion of his 81st birthday and celebration
of "Sahasrachandra Darshan," one who has seen
a thousand full moons. Shri Sathe has also expressed his
desire that "no ceremonies like "Sharadh"
should be performed, for I think I have already achieved
"Moksha" in life itself." He has "realized
that there could be no such thing or being as God. When
God is not necessary than agents of God or Godmen or Godwomen
are also not required. When there is no God or "Parmatma";
there can be no Atma or soul … hence `Moksha' is to
be achieved in this life itself and not something to be
obtained in life hereafter."
 Shri
Sathe is a person, who believes in taking rare steps or
expressing different views, an extraordinary concept of
things, which are often treated as controversial matters.
He has repeated his views regarding direct election of chief
executive of the country i.e. president or prime minister.
He is in favour of "a suitable amendment in the constitution"
for this purpose. He thinks "this is the answer to
control the political instability at the national level
which is growing by the day. Mushroom political parties
based on regional, communal and caste consideration are
growing. Even if we want the Westminister type of Parliament
to continue, it is imperative that an alternative political
party should emerge at the national level."
Shri
Sathe in his speech on the occasion compared Shrimati Sonia
Gandhi with late Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi and
said, "Shrimati Sonia Gandhi bhi Shrimati Indira Gandhi
ke nakshe kadam par chal rahi hain."
Vast
gathering of selected intellectuals, senior citizens and
politicians were present on the occasion including Home
Minister, Shri Shivraj Patil, two former PMs, Shri V.P.
Singh and Shri Inder Kumar Gujaral, former Governor, Shri
Bhishma Narain Singh, leading journalists like Inder Malhotra,
Ved Pratap Vedic and Prabhu Chawla, CWC Spl. Invitee, Shri
Anil Shastri and Smt. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi.
As
Shri Sathe has served as minister in late Shrimati Indira
Gandhi and late Rajiv Gandhi cabinets in various ministries
like I&B, Chemicals, Fertilizers, Steel, Mines, Coal
and Energy for two decades and made several important foreign
trips, this book also covers his remarkable achievements
like introduction of colour TV during Asiad Games.
-
Ram Naresh Sinha
| Tributes
to Kedarnath Sehgal |
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NEW DELHI: The death anniversary of great freedom
fighter Lala Kedar Nath Sehgal, who was also known as
the ‘Siah posh General’ (General in black) was celebrated
on 25 February. Shri Sehgal was also one of the accused
in the Lahore Conspiracy Case and the Meerut Conspiracy
Case. At the age of 17, Shri Sehgal plunged into the
freedom movement when Mahatma Gandhi had launched his
non-violence and non-cooperation movement in South Africa.
Lala Sehgal spent almost 26 years in jail from 1911
to 1947 and had vowed that he would wear only black
clothes till the country attained freedom. He was the
general secretary of the Lahore Congress Committee in
1914 and occupied an important position in the Indian
National Congress. Shri Sehgal founded the Naujawan
Bharat Sabha, Poorna Swantantra League and the Punjab
Kisan Party, according to Shri Robert Sehgal, the grandson
of Lala Kedar Nath Sehgal. Shri Sehgal died on 25 February
1963 at the age of 68 years. |
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