World atheist meet from January 6

: The city will host the ninth World Atheist Conference. The international meet on January 6 and 7 will be hosted by the Atheist Centre here.

This year’s theme of the conference is “The Necessity of Scientific Outlook and Secularism” and the event will be held at Siddhartha auditorium on the premises of Siddhartha College of Arts and Science.

The ninth World Atheist Conference will be a historic occasion bringing people from across India and abroad to discuss issues concerning promotion of scientific outlook, secularism and to strengthen the democratic ramparts in India and across the globe. Avinash Patel, chairman of Maharashtra Andh Shraddha Nirmulan Samiti, founded by the late Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, will be the chief guest on the occasion. Dravidar Kazhgam president and Periyar Maniammai University Chancellor K. Veeramani will inaugurate the event. German humanist and atheist leader Volker Mueller will preside over the inaugural function while German Member of Parliament Alfred Harald Petzold, Norwegian Humanist Association leader Robert Rustad, American Atheists Texas State President Aron Ra and National president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Association (FIRA) Narendra Nayak and others will participate in the deliberations.

Over four decades back, atheist leader Gora went around the world championing atheism as way of life in 1970. Gora is believed to have founded the world’s first Atheist Centre in a remote village in Krishna district in 1940.

The Conference will start at 11 a.m. on January 6. Directors of the Atheist Centre, Vijayawada, Vijayam, Samaram and Niyanta and Vikas Gora are the convenors of the conference. Enquiries for more details can be made by calling: 9848458220 or 0866-2472330.