Writer and former diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi has exhorted all secular-minded people to unite against religious fundamentalism.
Inaugurating the Thunchan Festival at Thunchanparamba, Tirur, on Saturday, Mr. Gandhi said that when Indians were taking pains to learn foreign languages such as French and Russian, they were turning away from acquiring the language of their neighbouring State. He said the national anthem of Sri Lanka got its glitter by combining the Sinhala and Tamil languages.
Quoting South African leader Nelson Mandela, Mr. Gandhi said the national anthem should get world attention by being in both English and national language. It was the same Rabindranath Tagore who composed the national anthems of Bangladesh and India, and also gave tune to Sri Lankan national anthem, he said.
