‘Dr Dabholkar’s work is rooted beyond Maharashtra’

PUNE: Exactly 10 years ago, on the morning of August 20, two unidentified assailants shot dead the leading light of the rationalist movement, Dr Narendra Dabholkar. His killing, followed by the assassinations of Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh is being investigated as part of a larger conspiracy—to attack and defeat bold, rationalist thought. The mastermind of Dr Dabholkar’s death is still at large. His son Hamid Dabholkar who carries his mantle now and heads the Andha Shraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, says that while the violence against the rationalists underlined the changing social atmosphere in the country, the job of the rationalists has only got tougher.

Dr Dabholkar’s assassination 10 years ago marked a change in the social fabric of the country. How do you see the changes that have taken place since his death?

Dr Narendra Dabholkar’s murder was an act of terrorism according to the charge sheet submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The main purpose was to create terror and unease in society. Many of those who were considered fringe elements back then are now at the forefront.

How has that affected the rationalist movement, Dr Dabholkar’s work of over three decades?

Dr Dabholkar’s work has not stopped. In fact, it has taken root beyond Maharashtra. At the same time, it is also undeniable that the situation in the country from the perspective of scientific temperament or scrutiny of superstition has become even more challenging. Dr Dabholkar’s death was followed by the killings of senior communist leader Govind Pansare, Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi and activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh—that was a blow. Today, public discourse is full of remarks made by different individuals which have no scientific basis. Public gestures like placing a lemon under the wheels of Rafale jets when they first arrived in India point to a certain anti-science attitude and indicative of the fast changes in society.

Weren’t such gestures happening earlier too when Dr Dabholkar was alive?

Yes, these things happened earlier too but the change we have noticed is that while previously dharma satta and raj satta had a mostly tacit association, it has now become overt, explicit. To eradicate superstitious beliefs from society, one has to question certain ill practices of any religion as a lot of superstition is associated with religion. However, at present, highlighting these practises or superstition is termed as dharma-drohi and by larger association, deshdrohi so the work of the rationalists has become even more challenging.

We routinely see certain babas making fraudulent claims which can actually be classified as offence under the anti-black magic act yet leaders, in power and in opposition, give them platform. Such acts shrink the space for rational discourse. When Maharashtra’s education minister (Deepak Kesarkar) says his visit to Shirdi prevented floods in Kolhapur, it is unscientific. Such things used to happen previously too but now their frequency has increased and resisting their actions has become even more challenging.

In addition to that, while science and technology on the one hand has enabled various gadgets in our hands they often lead to the dissemination of fakery and superstition. Fighting against this mass dissemination with limited manpower makes for a very uneven battle.

Dr Dabholkar advocated the enactment of anti-black magic act to curb superstition. The law was brought into effect after his death. Has that been helpful in any way?

Many people who otherwise have a scientific temperament suddenly turn superstitious if faced by a particularly trying situation in their life. This is a human tendency. At the same time, each time the police or civil society show the will power, they can act as effective deterrent against irrational thought and actions. Maharashtra has seen over 1000 cases registered under the anti-black magic act and around 50 per cent of them have been reported without the intervention of the workers of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti so that’s heartening. But it is also a fact that there are many more cases that still go unreported.

The trial of Dr Dabholkar’s murder is in the last leg. The CBI has arrested some people allegedly involved in the murder though the masterminds are still at large. Your thoughts on the case so far?

Since the Dabholkar case is sub-judice, I won’t be able to comment on its merits but it is true that masterminds are still at large. The CBI has clearly said that murder of all the rationalists were part of a wider conspiracy and that needs to be looked at.