GUWAHATI, April 11 - The Global March for Science was observed in the State today upholding the banner of scientific approach and rationalism. In Assam, the observance was preponed by four days in view of the Global March, scheduled for April 14, coinciding with the Rongali Bihu festival in the State.
The State unit of the All India People�s Science Network (AIPSN) organised the programme on the occasion.
In the city, the AIPSN held a public meeting at the Sangeetacharya Lakshmiram Barua Sadan here under the chairmanship of Dr Mahanta Kalita, president of the AIPSN Assam State Campaign Committee. The meeting was inaugurated by noted academician and physicist Prof Kulendu Pathak, a former Vice Chancellor of Dibrugarh University.
It was also addressed by former NASA scientist Dr Muralidhar Rao.
The participants at the meeting included academician and popular science activist Prof Anil Kumar Goswami, scientist Dr Sarbeswar Bujarbarua, popular science writer Dr Dinesh Goswami and the members of the constituent organisations of the AIPSN. They later took out a procession from the Lakshmiram Baruah Sadan campus. It was flagged off by Prof Anil Kumar Goswami.
The participants demanded an end to assaults on scientific thought and reason as well as to the practice of spreading obscurantist ideas through the use of public institutions, arrest and punishment of the culprits involved in the murder of rationalists Dr Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, Professor MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh.
They also called for steps for enhancement in the government spending on school and higher education up to six per cent of the country�s GDP and increase in the government spending on scientific research and development activities up to three per cent of the GDP.
