This refers to the editorial, “A murder most foul” (August 23). The brutal daylight murder of rationalist and anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar should be condemned by all right-thinking individuals. A vocal proponent of rationalism, Dabholkar's avowed mission in life was to combat superstitions with the mighty weapon of science. He encouraged people to develop critical thinking instead of blindly accepting views propagated by fake godmen. On many an occasion he exposed the hollowness of a host of irrational claims, from ‘miracle cures', astrological influences and ill-luck associated with widows, thereby incurring the wrath of vested interests.
As a rationalist and an iconoclast, Dabholkar fought the good fight in the inexorable battle between science and superstition. The best tribute that can be now paid to him is to pass the anti-superstition Bill for which he campaigned vigorously. Our country must awake into that heaven of freedom “where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit”.