This is a video of Basava Premanand, founder of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations and Indian CSICOP which published Indian Skeptic magazine. Premanand has been featured in many documentaries, notably ones by the BBC.

Basava Premanand, one of the greatest rationalists and skeptics of our time, passed away earlier today at Podanur in India. Here are two brief obituaries, one by Narendra Nayak, Premanand’s successor and president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, and another from Bangalore Skeptic, published by T.V. Manoj. Read the full story

In January, 2009 I went to meet Premanand at Podanur and exchange many ideas with him, or rather gather his ideas on some of the issues before us.

On the 21^st January, 2009 I found him in a relaxed expansive mood. Though the secondaries of his cancer might have been causing pain, he did not appear to be affected. He was very happy that his pet dream project of building the museum of method of science was nearing completion. Excerpts from our conversation:

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