The Anti-caste Marriage and One-child Family Organisation of India (AMOFOI) and the Freethought Party of India (FPI) jointly celebrated the International Freethinkers’ Day here on January 29 to mark the 258th birthday of freethinker Thomas Paine.
Members also paid tributes to eminent journalist Gouri Lankesh, who was gunned down for her upright views in Bangalore five months’ back, on her 57th birthday on the day.
AMOFOI co-founder Swapna Bijayini presided over the meeting. FPI general secretary B Ramchandra CST Voltaire highlighted the clarity of vision and fearlessness that Thomas Paine possessed in an unusual fashion to expose the British rulers who were quite happy with their slavery, colonialism in America in 18th Century.
He wanted that the teachings of Paine should brought to the notice of all the students studying in schools, colleges and universities to make life worth living.