PANAJI
The 212th book written by Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, was released at the hands of Mar Joseph Perumthottam, the Archbishop of Changanacherry, Kerala, at the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.
The book, ‘Basic Structure and Republic’, was released in the presence of Subhash Shirodkar, Minister for Water Resources and Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Rajya Sabha MP, Prof Harilal Menon, Vice Chancellor of Goa University, historian Sanjeev Sardesai, and Goan Kaavi artist Sagar Naik Mule.
Stating that the Governor - as a jurist, litterateur, orator, philanthropist, a former politician, and a prolific writer - has been writing for the past five decades on various topics and issues, the Archbishop Mar Joseph lauded Pillai for his versatility.
Calling the Governor a man of learning and a politician above politics, and the son of India, the Archbishop stated that his latest book, with its rich content, would be a guide for the youth of India to get in-depth knowledge of our nation’s great traditions and values.
Shirodkar claimed that he, as a politician, has been visiting the Raj Bhavan since 1987 but never ever tried to take a round in the Raj Bhavan premises. However, as he did so now, he experienced the vibrations of good ethos and winds of thoughts travelling from the Raj Bhavan to the rest of Goa.
Tanavade congratulated Governor Pillai for choosing different topics and for writing in many languages.
“Pillai has the heart to help the needy, and he is also a keen observer. His scheme ‘Nayi Pahal’ to finance the budding writers to publish their books is a wise decision. An easily approachable Governor, he is a friend of all and foe to none,” stated Tanavade.
Highlighting the three speeches in his 50-page book, Governor Pillai recalled the incidents in Indian democracy and stressed that it is ‘Dharma’ that all must follow while exercising our rights in democracy and this ‘Dharma’ is not confined to one’s religion, but it is the way of righteous living.
“My book includes three speeches “ the first underlines the importance of voting in democracy, the second one is a Republic Day speech, and the third is on the Supreme Court verdict on the historic Keshavananda Bharati case, which was a pioneering judgment on India defining the ‘Dharma’ of democracy. We must understand the importance of judiciary to help us save from abuse or arbitrary language. The book will bring political awareness to its readers,” said Pillai.
