Basava Premanand

Basava Premanand
Born	17 February 1930 Kozhikode, Kerala, India
Died	4 October 2009 Podanur, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Rationalist, skeptic, owner-writer-publisher of the monthly magazine The Indian Skeptic

Basava Premanand (17 February 1930 – 4 October 2009) was a skeptic and rationalist from Kerala, India. He organised many tours around rural India for the promotion of scientific thinking, exposing alleged miracles and scams carried out by various gurus and spreading awareness of superstition. Premanand was the founder of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, the convener of Indian CSICOP and the owner-publisher-editor of the monthly magazine The Indian Skeptic, which scientifically investigates paranormal occurrences in India. He was known as one of the most vocal critics of Satya Sai Baba.

Premanand was born on 17 February 1930 in Kozhikode, Kerala. His parents were followers of the Theosophical movement. In the 1940s, Premanand quit school to take part in the Quit India Movement. With that his traditional schooling ended. His next seven years were spent in the newly started Sri-Steila Gurukula, where the Shantiniketan-Wardha brand of education was imparted. Premanand had an interest in the paranormal, and investigated swamis and gurus. He was strongly influenced by Helena Blavatsky in his early years and in 1969 met the Sri Lankan skeptic Abraham Kovoor during his Miracle Exposure lecture tour in India. Premanand succeeded Kovoor after he died in 1978.

...
Wikipedia