Anti-Superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar shot dead.

[Desmond]

Really sad news.

His fight against superstition seems to have cost him his life, but Dr Narendra Dabholkar's struggle to eradicate deep rooted superstitions of our society is far from over.

Narendra Dabholkar, leading anti-superstition campaigner, social worker and journalist, was gunned down in Pune by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants, police said.

The attack took place around 7.30 a.m. near Omkareshwar Temple, when Dabholkar, in his 60s, was on his morning walk.The two gunmen fired indiscriminately at Dabholkar and sped away, leaving him in a pool of blood.The victim was rushed by other co-walkers to Sassoon Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police Commissioner Gulabrao Pol and other senior officials rushed to the scene of crime.Police claimed to have got some leads on the killers, adding that at least four bullets found their target in the victim's neck and back.

Two gunmen on motorbikes fired at Narendra Dabholkar, a medical doctor who had faced accusations of being anti-religion, as he was taking his morning walk in the western city of Pune, its police chief said.

"He was shot dead this morning, our investigations are on," Pune police commissioner Gulabrao Pol told AFP, adding that no suspects have yet been identified.

Dabholkar, a doctor, was at the forefront of a campaign to persuade the Maharashtra Government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill called the anti-JaduTona bill. Right wing Hindu groups, including certain sections of the Warkari Sect and political parties had been opposing to the bill.

A rationalist known for his bold views and sustained campaign against superstitions for over three decades, Dabholkar had rubbed many people the wrong way.In his 60s, he was largely instrumental in pushing the state government to frame an anti-superstition law which is in the final stages of legislative approval.

Hailing from Satara, Dabholkar studied medicine from Miraj Medical College and practised medicine for about a decade, before taking up social work.

In 1989, he founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS)-- the Committee for the Eradication of Blind Faith --, along with a few like-minded people and raised cudgels against all types of superstitions, irrational practices, blind faith and beliefs, confronting dubious tantriks and babas who preyed on the gullible masses.

Narendra Dabholkar: Anti-Superstition Activist Shot Dead | More From India | www.indiatimes.com

 

[theterminator]

I kindf had an intuitive feeling that this news/topic is going to be posted by you .

 

[Desmond]

Why so?

 

[Faun]

Thinkdigit's personal antichrist.

 

[theterminator]

Thinkdigit's personal antichrist.

+1

Why so?

saw your previous posts about this or something related sometime back..

 

[Desmond]

Anti-Christ? that's a bit of a stretch

But good news :

The Congress-NCP government’s protracted delay of more than a decade in Maharashtra to introduce an anti-black magic law had neither daunted nor frustrated the late social activist Narendra Dabaholkar who was shot and killed in Pune yesterday.

Recounting the glowing account of social reforms in Maharashtra over the last two centuries, Dabholkar (68) would assert in his campaign speeches that he would eventually be victorious. He had even joked about his death while speaking at a public event at Panvel last November, and had laughingly quoted socialist Ram Manohar Lohia’s iconised words: “Log meri baat sunenge jaroor, lekin mere marane ke baad.” (People will surely listen me, but after I am dead).

“I do not mean to say that this is what I want, what I mean is that our good work should continue,” was what he had said to his fellow activists.

His words have now proved true with CNN-IBN reporting that a shame-faced Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra has finally cleared the anti-black magic ordinance which Dabholkar had demanded barely two weeks ago at a press conference in Pune.

Maha ordinance: Dabholkar secures what he was denied in life - Firstpost

 

[theserpent]

Hmmm There's another anti Superstition/Rationalist by the name Narendra Nayak in my city

 

[snap]

sad news he was trying to do something good

 

[ico]

This comment:

Jai Sri Rama

Thanks to sickular Khangress govt's branding of ancient traditions as "supserstitions", we are not listening to real experts who are knowledgeable in Indian culture.

The rupee is falling due to the inauspicious new symbol... Many Vasthu Shasthra experts have already proved this... the symbol was also unveiled without a proper muhurtham at a time when the stars were not aligned properly... to make the matters worse, the horizontal line across the symbol appears to “slit the throat” of the currency.

When vasthu shasthra was respected, India was a world superpower... but due to brainwashing by Victorian education we have forgotten our ancient knowledge... the sickulars are busy mourning the death of a traitor like Dabholkar instead of listening to vasthu shasthra experts who can save the Indian economy with their correct advice.

the bold part made me chuckle.

 

[Hrishi]

Belief in God and belief in Superstition are two different things.

 

[Desmond]

This comment:



the bold part made me chuckle.

Lol...where did you get that comment?

 

[Inceptionist]

The tweets of some people are quite disturbing.
Narendra Dabholkar criticism on Twitter : atheismindia

 

[theterminator]

^found mention of Rajiv Dixit there, his lectures are quite an exaggeration about superiority of indian culture over western.

 

[ssdivisiongermany1933]

There is no problem anti-superstition bill , but the problem is that every law is made for a particular community where as other's are spared .No community is free from superstition though ....

superstition is a demon eating wisdom and knowledge of India

 

[Desmond]

^found mention of Rajiv Dixit there, his lectures are quite an exaggeration about superiority of indian culture over western.

Who the hell is Rajiv Dixit?

The tweets of some people are quite disturbing.
Narendra Dabholkar criticism on Twitter : atheismindia

Really big idiots.

What can be done of such people of such narrow mindedness? How can we educate such people and how can the country develop if such people exist in prominent posts in the government?

Edit : Why are so many Hindus disturbed or vary of other religions and claiming that they are the ones being harassed when they are the majority pf the population of the country?

There is no problem anti-superstition bill , but the problem is that every law is made for a particular community where as other's are spared .No community is free from superstition though ....

superstition is a demon eating wisdom and knowledge of India

That cannot be any more true. Especially in India which has a vast number of religions and communities.

But I believe that before superstition, the first thing that should go is caste.

 

[Flash]

Thanks to sickular Khangress govt's branding of ancient traditions as "supserstitions", we are not listening to real experts who are knowledgeable in Indian culture.

The rupee is falling due to the inauspicious new symbol... Many Vasthu Shasthra experts have already proved this... the symbol was also unveiled without a proper muhurtham at a time when the stars were not aligned properly... to make the matters worse, the horizontal line across the symbol appears to “slit the throat” of the currency.

When vasthu shasthra was respected, India was a world superpower... but due to brainwashing by Victorian education we have forgotten our ancient knowledge... the sickulars are busy mourning the death of a traitor like Dabholkar instead of listening to vasthu shasthra experts who can save the Indian economy with their correct advice.

Pound symbol also has the horizontal line across the symbol (or "slit the throat" of their currency), yet 1 GBP = 101 Rupees today..
These experts should get a life instead of cursing everything with the so-called rituals..

We should find the person and troll him to change his Door no/PAN ID/License #/Bank Acc # to change according to his vasthu so that he can be a super-powered man..

R.I.P to Narendra. People will only realise the importance of a thing/person, only when it's no more..

 

[theterminator]

Who the hell is Rajiv Dixit?
What can be done of such people of such narrow mindedness? How can we educate such people and how can the country develop if such people exist in prominent posts in the government?
Edit : Why are so many Hindus disturbed or vary of other religions and claiming that they are the ones being harassed when they are the majority pf the population of the country?

Rajiv Dixit was a guy associated with Baba Ramdev's Bharat Swabhiman Andolan. His lectures (very lengthy ones ranging from 1 to 4 hours) are available as audio files (or may be video also) on the web. If you have the time then download & listen. I am sure if you listen it from a non-rational perspective (especially that of an unemployed youth) then you will become anti-western & India is dying for sure . But I am dead sure you will not because most of it is bullcrap.

We can have a very long discussion of rational versus superstition here . I think there is some form of superstition which even rationalists will develop with time. I cannot imagine a life without any sort of superstition. We have hundreds of examples of superstition in a field like Cricket (remember steve waugh with the red cloth thing, chanderpaul with the hitting the bales on the pitch & numerous other examples). If that sort of thing one practices in the form of preaching Lord Shiva then he will be called an idiot by so-called atheists.