Governor P. Sathasivam has called upon students to fulfil their fundamental duties besides enjoying the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
He was addressing a function to honour freedom fighters P. Gopinathan Nair and K. Ayyappan Pillai at Raj Bhavan here on Monday.
The event was organised as part of ‘Azadi 70 - Yaad Karo Kurbani,’ a programme to remember the contribution of freedom fighters to the cause of the country’s Independence from British rule.
He said that Kerala had the rare distinction of seeing revolts against the British even before the first freedom struggle of 1857. He mentioned the Malabar rebellion of 1921, the students’ agitation of 1922, and the Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924 which fuelled the freedom struggle in the State.
In his address, Mr. Gopinathan Nair said the country faced a number of challenges, including communalism. Education should become a weapon in the fight against social evils. .
Children from 10 schools took part in the function. Students of Model High School, Cotton Hill High School and Higher Secondary School, Army Public School, and Pattom Government Girls Higher Secondary School rendered patriotic songs.
A short film ‘Flag and Freedom’ by the Films Division was screened on the occasion. The Governor later visited freedom fighter K.E. Mammen at NIMS Hospital.
