20 th August 2026
It was on this day – 13 years back – that Dr Narendra Dabholkar , a leading light of the rationalist movement who was engaged in fighting superstition and black magic through the organisation he led called ‘ Andhashradha Nirmulan Samity ’ (Committee for the Eradication of Superstition https://antisuperstition.org/) was assassinated on the streets of Pune. (https://kafila.online/2013/08/21/assassination-of-an-activist-who-killed-dr-narendra-dabholkar/)

Contrary to the expectations of his killers – part of the rightwing fanatic movement in the country who had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him – the mission he initiated, the work he led continues unabated. Thousands of new activists have joined the movement.

Here focus of the discussion is on ‘ Challenges before Rationalist Movement in the Country ‘