Indian Deputy High Commissioner Sri Mohan Kumar said that the choice between the religious fundamentalism and secularism is a challenge faced by both India and Sri Lanka more or less.

He was speaking at the launching of the Sinhala translation of the Dr. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad’s ‘India Wins Freedom’ by veteran journalist Sujeewa Dissanayake.

"The world faces three critical choices today: the choice between religious fundamentalism and secularism is before us. It is incumbent especially in countries like India and Sri Lanka. Kalam’s ‘India wins Freedom’ shows us that forces of secularism should overcome religious fundamentalism," he said.

"We also have the challenge of making a choice between chauvinism and patriotism. Kalam’s book guides us to identify the difference between chauvinism and patriotism. The choice between traditionalism and modernism, blending the two is also there. Kalam, being considered as the greatest modern builder in India, did not refuse traditionalism. In fact, he said that we should be able to safeguard tradition, culture and heritage," he said.

"Not only Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru who conducted the India’s freedom struggle. We also had the guidance of Dr. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad. Writings of a leader like Abdul Kalam are of timeless value and we find it relevant even today," he said pointing out that India was fortunate to have leaders of a high calibre at the time of her independence.

Minister of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration, D. E. W. Gunesekera said that the book must be read and studied by all those who are in politics, as well students of political science.

"Kalam fought all his life to establish a great united India including Pakistan and Bangladesh. He had the notion that Muslim people can enjoy their rights in a united India. He believed in the concept ‘unity in diversity’. Although Abdul Kalam had rendered a great service to India’s freedom struggle, he had much hope for a negotiated settlement with the British and an undivided India, his contribution to the national movement is little known in Sri Lanka," the Minister said.