Narendra Dabholkar

Dr. Narendra Achyut Dabholkar was born on November 1, 1945, in Satara, Maharashtra. He completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Miraj, and practiced as a dedicated physician before shifting his entire focus toward social reform and scientific temperament.

In 1989, he founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), leading campaigns against fraudulent godmen, caste violence, animal sacrifice, and occult exploitation. For over two decades, he tirelessly drafted and lobbied for the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act.

Tragically assassinated on August 20, 2013, by extremist forces in Pune, his martyrdom sparked a nationwide awakening that forced the Maharashtra government to pass the historic Anti-Superstition Ordinance just four days later. In 2014, he was posthumously conferred the Padma Shri.