Narendra Dabholkar
| Narendra Dabholkar | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1 November 1945 |
| Died | 20 August 2013 (aged 67) Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Social activist, founder-president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) |
| Spouse(s) | Shaila |
| Children | Mukta, Hamid |
| Website | antisuperstition |
Narendra Achyut Dabholkar (1 November 1945 – 20 August 2013) was an Indian medical doctor, rationalist and author from Maharashtra, India. In 1989 he founded and became president of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), (the Committee to Eradicate Superstition in Maharashtra). Triggered by his murder on 20 August 2013, the pending Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance was promulgated in the state of Maharashtra, four days later. The next year, in 2014, he was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri for social work.
Dabholkar was born on 1 November 1945 to Achyut and Tarabai, being the youngest of ten sibling. His the eldest sibling was the educationalist, Gandhian and socialist Devdatta Dabholkar. He did his schooling at New English School Satara and Willingdon College, Sangli. He was a qualified medical doctor, having obtained an MBBS degree from the Government Medical College, Miraj.
He was the captain of the Shivaji University Kabaddi team. He had represented India against Bangladesh in a Kabaddi tournament. He won the Maharashtra government's Shiv Chhatrapati Yuva Award for Kabaddi.
He was married to Shaila and has two children, Hamid and Mukta Dabholkar. His son was named after the social reformer Hamid Dalwai. He didn't believe in Vastu Shastra and built his house without any regards to the principles of Vastu Shastra. He also criticised extravagant marriage ceremonies and arranged for his own children to be married in simple ceremonies. The almanac was not consulted to select an auspicious time as it is traditionally done. He was an atheist.
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