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The Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA) is an umbrella body of 83 (as of 2012) rationalist, atheist, skeptic, secularist and science organisations in India. As an apex body of rationalist organisations, it is committed to the development of scientific temper and humanism in India.
Contents
History
There are a number of rationalist, atheist, skeptic, and secularist groups active in the states and regions of India. It was to coordinate the activities of these organisations at the national level that as part of 10th Kerala State Conference of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham, a meeting of activists from around India was convened at Trivandrum, Kerala. The meeting decided to launch a federation of all the rationalist and skeptic associations active in India. As a result, the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations was launched on February 7, 1997 at Palakkad, Kerala. Basava Premanand of Indian CSICOP, Tamil Nadu was the founder-convener of the federation. Since its foundation, the FIRA membership has increased to "nearly 50" organisations in 2005, to "more than 75" in 2011 to 83 in 2012.
Dr G Vijayam, Atheist Centre, Vijayawada, was elected as the patron of the association at the 8th National Conference held in Nagpur on 11 and 12 February 2012. The conference reelected Prof Narendra Nayak of Dakshina Kannada Rationalist Association, Karnataka as the national president of the association and U.Kalanathan of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham as its general secretary.
Affiliation to IHEU
FIRA is affiliated to International Humanist and Ethical Union and supports minimum statement on Humanism (as required by IHEU bylaw 5.1) and the Amsterdam Declaration 2002.
Minimum statement
"Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality."
National conferences
FIRA has so far convened nine national conferences:
- Palakkad, Kerala : February 7, 1997
- Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh: March 21 & 22, 1998
- Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: December 7, 8 & 9, 2001
- Mangalore, Karnataka: May 10 & 11, 2003
- Bhatinda, Punjab: April 2, 3 & 4, 2004
- Pune, Maharashtra: April 28 & 29, 2007
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu: December 26 & 27, 2009
- Nagpur, Maharashtra: February 11 & 12, 2012
- Brahmapur, Odisha: December 24 & 25, 2014.
It has been decided to hold the 10th national conference on 25th and 26th February, 2017 at BTR Memorial Hall,Santhi Nagar, Thampanoor, Trivandrum, Kerala