Dalholkar: A Tribute to anti-superstition activist
I refer to the Times of India report, Anti-superstition activist Dabholkar shot dead in Pune; CM, Pawar condemn killing, August 20th.
On behalf of all humanists, enlightened movements and anti-superstition groups, I condemned o the highest possible degree the utterly brutal and undeniably barbaric murder of Narendra Dalholkar in Pune.
As the report clearly narrated:
“In a setback to the progressive movement in Maharashtra, leading anti-superstition activist Narenda Dabholkar was shot dead by two unidentified assailants while he was out on a morning walk on Tuesday.
“Known for his over two-decade long campaign against outdated and inhuman social practices, Dabholkar was currently engaged in mobilising public opinion and holding discussions with Maharashtra government for passing an 'anti-superstition and black magic' law in the state legislature, opposed by certain sections of the society, including the Warkari sect.
“69-year-old Dabholkar, who headed the 'Andhashraddha Nirluman Samiti' (anti-superstition movement), was out for a morning walk when two motorcycle-borne unidentified assailants fired two bullets from close range into his head from behind, police said quoting an eyewitness.”
The undeniable gruesome “offence took place on the bridge near Omkareshwar Temple in the city in the vicinity of 'Sadhana' magazine, which Dabholkar edited to propagate progressive thought to change social mindset.”
It is my firm view that the attack committed against Dabholkar is not only against his person; it is also an attack against all those principles that he stood and fought for all his life!
It was a devious and evil attack by the legions of darkness and the prophets of madness and ignorance against reason, science and enlightenment!
The forces of darkness and creatures of backwardness decided to kill a devoted student of free thought and a being of the light!
This bloody incident reminds me of a similar crime committed 2, 500 years ago!
The unjust Athenians condemned Socrates to death for “corrupting the minds of the youth” and for “blasphemy”.
The time and the location are different, but the context and the circumstances are identical.
The stupid Athenians condemned a philosopher to death because they do not want the people to think and some bastard murderer killed an anti-superstition activist, because they do not want the people to know the truth. They do not want the people to think for themselves!
It is my fervent view that both Socrates and Dabholkar are martyrs of free thought and critical inquiry!
I believe that both of them died for Humanity!
I cannot understand the “mindset” or the “mental mechanism” of those idiots in carrying out this barbaric act.
I do not know whether those fanatical freaks and prophets of ignorance are aware that what Dalholkar is doing is simply and clearly following the scientific and humanistic provision of the Constitution.
Article 51 A (h) of the 1949 Indian Constitution expressly provides the following duties of the citizens: “to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform”!
There is no iota of doubt, on my mind whatsoever that that is exactly what our activist has done for all his life.
I do not know whether those idiots are aware that they may have succeeded in killing Dabholkar, yet I doubt if they could have killed his ideas, thoughts and principles.
Yes, Dabholkar may no longer be with us, but I refuse to believe that in his untimely demise his beliefs and principles had died with him.
I certainly believe that all the causes that he took and devoted more than twenty years of his life is alive and well not only in his village of Pune, but for all of the people of India and the world!
Those beliefs and principles such as to think for ourselves without relying to some supernatural or metaphysical forces!
His ardent belief in humanism and the natural goodness of man!
His stand in firmly renouncing “practices derogatory to the dignity of women”!
His devotion to the scientific method and his declaration of war against barbaric and archaic rituals!
His propagation of rational thought, in the hope that it may lead to critical thinking of the people and the masses as a whole!
In short, his passion and struggle for enlightenment!
I also heavily doubt if they could erase the memory and legacy of the man.
I do not think and I do not believe that his death will stop the march of reason and the eventual victory of science over superstition and ignorance!
He may be dead, but his philosophy will never perish!
I overwhelmingly concur with the Times of India’s description of Dabholkar’s life mission and that is “spreading scientific temper and eradicating superstitions and undesirable rituals in the society was a lifelong mission which he carried with zest and rational thought, notwithstanding resistance from retrograde elements”.
I reiterate my condemnation of those murderers who killed arbitrarily and barbarically our great man. I also would like to include to my criticism and disgust those so-called retrograde elements who hates and dislike our activist’s life work of promoting enlightenment and rational thoughts.
To quote the stirring words of the noted British philosopher, an ardent humanist and a world renounced social critic, Bertrand Russell:
“A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook and a free intelligence. It needs hope for the future, not looking back all the time toward a past that is dead which we trust will be far surpassed by the future that our intelligence can create.”
I join the “prominent political leaders and social activists from the state including Union minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar” who condemned the killing of Dabholkar. He describe him as “a dedicated, selfless social activist who was committed to promote progressive thinking”.
Indeed, as Pawar categorically stated:
"The progressive thought for which Dabholkar gave his life, will not die in Maharashtra…"
In the equally beautiful contention of Robert G. Ingersoll:
“Man must learn to rely upon himself.
“Man, should cease to expect aid from on high. By this time he should that heaven has no ear to hear, and no hand to help. The present is the necessary child of all the past. There has been no chance and there can be no interference.
“If abuses are destroyed, man must destroy them. If slaves are freed, man must free them. If new truths are discovered, man must discover them. If the naked are clothed; if the hungry are fed; if justice is done; if labor is rewarded; if superstition is driven from the mind; if the defenseless are protected, and if the right finally triumphs, all must be the work of man. The grand victories of the future must be won by man; and by man alone”.
Long Live, Dabholkar, the anti-superstition activist!!!
Jose Mario Dolor De Vega
Philosophy lecturer
College of Arts and Letters
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
I refer to the Times of India report, Anti-superstition activist Dabholkar shot dead in Pune; CM, Pawar condemn killing, August 20th.
On behalf of all humanists, enlightened movements and anti-superstition groups, I condemned o the highest possible degree the utterly brutal and undeniably barbaric murder of Narendra Dalholkar in Pune.
As the report clearly narrated:
“In a setback to the progressive movement in Maharashtra, leading anti-superstition activist Narenda Dabholkar was shot dead by two unidentified assailants while he was out on a morning walk on Tuesday.
“Known for his over two-decade long campaign against outdated and inhuman social practices, Dabholkar was currently engaged in mobilising public opinion and holding discussions with Maharashtra government for passing an 'anti-superstition and black magic' law in the state legislature, opposed by certain sections of the society, including the Warkari sect.
“69-year-old Dabholkar, who headed the 'Andhashraddha Nirluman Samiti' (anti-superstition movement), was out for a morning walk when two motorcycle-borne unidentified assailants fired two bullets from close range into his head from behind, police said quoting an eyewitness.”
The undeniable gruesome “offence took place on the bridge near Omkareshwar Temple in the city in the vicinity of 'Sadhana' magazine, which Dabholkar edited to propagate progressive thought to change social mindset.”
It is my firm view that the attack committed against Dabholkar is not only against his person; it is also an attack against all those principles that he stood and fought for all his life!
It was a devious and evil attack by the legions of darkness and the prophets of madness and ignorance against reason, science and enlightenment!
The forces of darkness and creatures of backwardness decided to kill a devoted student of free thought and a being of the light!
This bloody incident reminds me of a similar crime committed 2, 500 years ago!
The unjust Athenians condemned Socrates to death for “corrupting the minds of the youth” and for “blasphemy”.
The time and the location are different, but the context and the circumstances are identical.
The stupid Athenians condemned a philosopher to death because they do not want the people to think and some bastard murderer killed an anti-superstition activist, because they do not want the people to know the truth. They do not want the people to think for themselves!
It is my fervent view that both Socrates and Dabholkar are martyrs of free thought and critical inquiry!
I believe that both of them died for Humanity!
I cannot understand the “mindset” or the “mental mechanism” of those idiots in carrying out this barbaric act.
I do not know whether those fanatical freaks and prophets of ignorance are aware that what Dalholkar is doing is simply and clearly following the scientific and humanistic provision of the Constitution.
Article 51 A (h) of the 1949 Indian Constitution expressly provides the following duties of the citizens: “to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform”!
There is no iota of doubt, on my mind whatsoever that that is exactly what our activist has done for all his life.
I do not know whether those idiots are aware that they may have succeeded in killing Dabholkar, yet I doubt if they could have killed his ideas, thoughts and principles.
Yes, Dabholkar may no longer be with us, but I refuse to believe that in his untimely demise his beliefs and principles had died with him.
I certainly believe that all the causes that he took and devoted more than twenty years of his life is alive and well not only in his village of Pune, but for all of the people of India and the world!
Those beliefs and principles such as to think for ourselves without relying to some supernatural or metaphysical forces!
His ardent belief in humanism and the natural goodness of man!
His stand in firmly renouncing “practices derogatory to the dignity of women”!
His devotion to the scientific method and his declaration of war against barbaric and archaic rituals!
His propagation of rational thought, in the hope that it may lead to critical thinking of the people and the masses as a whole!
In short, his passion and struggle for enlightenment!
I also heavily doubt if they could erase the memory and legacy of the man.
I do not think and I do not believe that his death will stop the march of reason and the eventual victory of science over superstition and ignorance!
He may be dead, but his philosophy will never perish!
I overwhelmingly concur with the Times of India’s description of Dabholkar’s life mission and that is “spreading scientific temper and eradicating superstitions and undesirable rituals in the society was a lifelong mission which he carried with zest and rational thought, notwithstanding resistance from retrograde elements”.
I reiterate my condemnation of those murderers who killed arbitrarily and barbarically our great man. I also would like to include to my criticism and disgust those so-called retrograde elements who hates and dislike our activist’s life work of promoting enlightenment and rational thoughts.
To quote the stirring words of the noted British philosopher, an ardent humanist and a world renounced social critic, Bertrand Russell:
“A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook and a free intelligence. It needs hope for the future, not looking back all the time toward a past that is dead which we trust will be far surpassed by the future that our intelligence can create.”
I join the “prominent political leaders and social activists from the state including Union minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar” who condemned the killing of Dabholkar. He describe him as “a dedicated, selfless social activist who was committed to promote progressive thinking”.
Indeed, as Pawar categorically stated:
"The progressive thought for which Dabholkar gave his life, will not die in Maharashtra…"
In the equally beautiful contention of Robert G. Ingersoll:
“Man must learn to rely upon himself.
“Man, should cease to expect aid from on high. By this time he should that heaven has no ear to hear, and no hand to help. The present is the necessary child of all the past. There has been no chance and there can be no interference.
“If abuses are destroyed, man must destroy them. If slaves are freed, man must free them. If new truths are discovered, man must discover them. If the naked are clothed; if the hungry are fed; if justice is done; if labor is rewarded; if superstition is driven from the mind; if the defenseless are protected, and if the right finally triumphs, all must be the work of man. The grand victories of the future must be won by man; and by man alone”.
Long Live, Dabholkar, the anti-superstition activist!!!
Jose Mario Dolor De Vega
Philosophy lecturer
College of Arts and Letters
Polytechnic University of the Philippines