PRESS CONFERENCE -

HINDU SPIRITUAL & SERVICE FAIR-2013

A Press Conference was conducted at Hotel Deccan Plaza on Monday, 11th February 2013 by the Organising Committee of the Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation [HSSF]. On the Conference dais were present the Chairperson Shri N. Gopalaswami IAS (retd.), former Chief Election Commissioner of India and the Vice Chairperson Kum. Dr. Padma Subramaniam, reputed danseuse and Director of Nrityodaya. Shri Nambi Narayanan of Swadeshi Jagran Manch welcomed the gathering.

The Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation [HSSF] is organizing the HINDU AND SPIRITUAL SERVICE FAIR from 19th to 24th February 2013. The VENUE of the Fair is the A.M Jain College grounds at Meenambakkam, Chennai.

The Inaugural Meet is scheduled at 6 PM on Tuesday, 19th February 2013. Shri L.K Advani, India’s former Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the NDA Government, will be the Chief Guest at the Inaugural Meet and he will deliver the keynote address. Swami Ashutoshananda of Sri Ramakrishna Mission, Chennai and Swami Omkarananda of Chidbhavananda Mission, Theni, Tamil Nadu, will be participating in the Inaugural Meet.

For Five Days from Wednesday, 20th February to Sunday, 24th February 2013, the Hindu and Spiritual Service Fair will function from 9:30 AM to 8 PM.

This year being the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the Spiritual Service Fair will be dedicated to that Patriot-Saint of India. The Central Hall of the Spiritual Service Fair will be dedicated to an exhibition on Swami Vivekananda’s Life, Thoughts and Mission.

On Saturday 16th February 2013 at 8 AM there will be a Vivekananda Walkathon by 2000 students from various Schools along the Marina Beach Road. The Walkathon will commence from the Labour Statue, near Ezhilagam, Tamil Nadu Government Building and proceed to historic Vivekananda House.

This is the 5th time the Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair will be held. Speaking to mediapersons at the Press Conference, Shri Gopalaswami said it was the ignorance about one’s own religion and cultural heritage which make people fall prey to the drive by evangelists. The evangelists are indulging in converting various sections of the society and it is most disturbing. Dr Padma Subrahmaniam commented that she was really distressed by the mass religious conversions taking place in various parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. “I have personally experienced the trauma underwent by a family near the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border when evangelists tried to convert the dead body of a person in front of his family. I have a responsibility to my country and have to alert my people about the happenings.”

On Saturday 16th February 2013 at 8 AM there will be a Vivekananda Walkathon by 2000 students from various Schools along the Marina Beach Road. The Walkathon will commence from the Labour Statue, near Ezhilagam, Tamil Nadu Government Building and proceed to Vivekananda House.

More on the reason and purpose of the HINDU AND SPIRITUAL SERVICE FAIR and its sponsors, the Hindu Spiritual and Service Foundation in my next post.