Wednesday, December 22, 2010

S. Ramanathan, Rationalist from Chennai

Ramanathan started Rationalist Movement in Madras and took it to National level.
In 1938, he was in Rajaji’s cabinet. He edited  the magazine ‘Indian
Rationalist’. He put together a good collection of Rationalist library. He traveled all
over the country and encouraged the Movement.

We invited him to Hyderabad. By then he was much aged. This is about
way back in 1976. He spoke in a very low voice at Y.M.I.A Hall. Abburi Ramakrishnarao , the chief organiser of Radical Humanist organization in Andhra , and
A.L.Narasimha Rao,journalist and humanist  were present.

We went to his residence in Madras. After his death, his wife did not show
interest in running the Library and the Magazine. So they were shifted .Surya
Narayana and Jaya Gopal took up those responsibilities.

Jaya Gopal went to America, got married and started a web site from Atlanta.
He died around 2000 A.D. Surya Narayana went back to Kerala. When the magazine
was brought to Hyderabad Jaya Gopal used to write. Avula Sambasiva Rao as the
Editor, N.K.Acharya, Jasti Jawahar Lal and I managed the running of the magazine.
This is after 1970. After sometime, Surya Naryana moved the magazine back to
Madras.  It did not run for long in Madras either.

Ram Nathan was the foremost of Indian Rationalist Movement. He toured
in Russia too. He took great pains to conduct the Movement. It is a matter of great
pride to be closely associated with him.

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