The Republic of Reason

Narendra Dabholkar

Narendra Achyut Dabholkar (1 November 1945 – 20 August 2013) was a medical doctor and rationalist from Maharashtra. To help eradicate superstition, he founded in 1989 the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti ("Maharashtra Committee for Eradication of Blind Faith"). Following his assassination, the Maharashtra Legislative assembly promulgated the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act, a bill originally drafted by him in 2003. He was awarded the Padma Shri for his social work posthumously.