It was good to see an article in the NY Times today about the murder of Indian skeptic Narendra Dabholkar. He was the sort of man I admire.
PUNE, India — For nearly three decades, an earnest man named Narendra Dabholkar traveled from village to village in India, waging a personal war against the spirit world.If a holy man had electrified the public with his miracles, Dr. Dabholkar, a former physician, would duplicate the miracles and explain, step by step, how they were performed. If a sorcerer had amassed a fortune treating infertility, he would arrange a sting operation to unmask the man as a fraud. His goal was to drive a scientist’s skepticism into the heart of India, a country still teeming with gurus, babas, astrologers, godmen and other mystical entrepreneurs.That mission ended Tuesday, when two men ran up behind Dr. Dabholkar, 67, as he crossed a bridge, shot him at point-blank range, then jumped onto a motorbike and disappeared into the traffic coursing through this city.
He was a good man who spoke the truth, so the fools killed him. In every religious country, there are rational people fighting the woo. It does my heart good to know this. We'll win in the end, though it may take several generations. Dr. Dabholkar, you led an admirable life. I salute you.
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