Posted on 02 March 2010
(Professor Narendra Nayak has been traveling into the rural areas of India, promoting rationalism on the ground for over 30 years. His rationalism tours include demonstrations and training sessions for young rationalists in schools and colleges across the country. He is the successor of Basava Premanand, the world famous skeptic and rationalist, in his role as the president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations)
This is a brief account of some of my visits to the tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh. It is neither a chronicle of events, nor a comprehensive report of our work there. It is a write-up about some of the incidents that have taken place in the region, which I can recall. We have been working in this area for quite some time now.
Itarsi, a town in the state of Madhya Pradesh, is an important railway junction that connects the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western parts of India. During my train journeys I would take what are known as a ‘break journeys’ in this town, while on my way to other places by rail. The prominent Indian rationalist, Premanand and I have been there together quite a few times. Read the full story
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Posted on 19 February 2010
Reaching out to the younger generation is our priority number one. All our efforts are to reach out to this generation. The older generations with their fixed mindsets they are either with us or against us. Some fence sitters may need a push or pull from us to come our way. But, most of the times it is preaching to the converted or nonconvertible! Read the full story
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Posted on 29 December 2009
We have reported on many of the past challenges issued by rationalists to purveyors of supernatural beliefs. The challenger in many of these cases (1,2,3,4,5), Mr Narendra Nayak, president of the Federation of Rationalist Associations of India, has a long-standing challenge issued specifically for astrologers. Here it is in his own words:
“We shall provide the date, time and place of birth of 10 individuals along with the appropriate solutions. The challenger can cast the horoscope and state the following within 90% limits of accuracy- is the individual male or female, dead or alive. ” Read the full story
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Posted on 15 October 2009
This article originally appeared in Mangalore Today.
It would be difficult to call some one your ideological father- but not if that person were Premanand , you a budding young rationalist and that is what I was when I first met him. While the last meeting with him is already documented in the write-up Premanand in Abirami Hospital, I would like to recount the first one. Read the full story
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Posted on 15 July 2009
Editor’s Note: This article was originally written for Mangalore Today.
The ten year old waited with bated breath, anxiously listening to sounds of the wind, he huddled close to his mother. The other siblings were busy playing and the youngest, a babe in arms, was asleep. He kept asking his mother when the winds would blow, the deluge start and the world come to an end. Mother told him to chant Ram’s name and that it would perhaps save all their lives. He did so with all the sincerity that a decade in this world could ensure. When the clock struck the appointed hour, his heart was racing, the prayers became more fervent. Father was not at home and hence it was his responsibility as the eldest son to save the family when the predicted deluge came. He wondered at the callousness of his father who was busy with his shop when the calamity hit.
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Posted on 09 July 2009
Update: This is the sixth part in the series. Here are links to all the parts of Narandra Nayak’s rationalism tour of India: Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.
After having two training programs,organized by NCSTC at Uttarakasi and Hardwar (please see- A Nastik in Devabhoomi) I went to Bangalore from Delhi. There we had a training program under the aegis of the Bangalore Vicharvadi Sangha at the Ashoka Shishu Vihar, Bangalore. The participants in this series conducted from the 16th to 21st of April, numbered around 25. Their ages were from 14 to 70! We had students and retired senior specialist doctors as well as housewives and some affected by black magic too! There were the members of the Bangalore orgnization - A.S.Nataraj, Manoj, Subba Rao and others who were ready to provide services to the participants as well as take the training themselves. At the end it was the younger generation which stole ththe show, two young girls and the youngest boy put up a wonderful performance of what they had learned!
Since after this the greatest of the Indian shows - the general elections - had begun, and we were busy with our challenges to the astrologers, I had a break from the constant traveling. During this time we had the interesting encounters with the chelas of Ashwini which have been already reported in detail.
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Posted on 27 May 2009
A Skeptic Vs. Psychic event is set to take place in Bangalore on the 31st of this month. The meeting will attempt to resolve a challenge proposed by Yogi Ashwini of the Dhyan Foundation to rationalist Narendra Nayak, president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations. The Yogi claims that his representative from the foundation can accurately diagnose the health-condition/disease of people from just their photographs. Here are the details of the event:
Date: 31st May, 2009 at 11:00 AM.
Venue: Ashoka Shishu Vihara at Shankarapuram, Bangalore.
Description: The psychic will attempt to accurately diagnose the current health of 10 people, from their photographs alone.
Contact: Narendra Nayak: 94482 16343
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Posted on 13 January 2009
Update: This is the third part in the series. Here are links to all the parts of Narandra Nayak’s rationalism tour of India: Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
Report of the activities from the 1st to the 15th of January, 2009
The New Year started on an optimistic note for us. On the 2nd of January we had a lecture
The Museum
demonstration organized by the Vishweshwarayya Industrial and Science Museum, Bangalore (See photo). There were about 250 people in the audience, including school children and visitors to the museum. There was spirited participation by the students and following that a number of questions from them. After this we went to a school run by Sri Subba Rao one of the most active members of the Bangalore association. There was good interaction with the young students after which I had to start for Hyderabad.
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Posted on 02 January 2009
Update: This is the second part in the series. Here are links to all the parts of Narandra Nayak’s rationalism tour of India: Intro, Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
Editor’s Note: Narendra Nayak has been touring India, teaching young rationalists how to educate the public about the tricks used by conjurors and mystics. His first round concluded, Narendra Nayak is back from Mumbai and is now in Mangalore for 2 days. The second round started last night (the 1st). Narendra will be back in Mumbai on the 11th and then travel to Mangalore. He will be participating at the 7th World Atheist Conference in Vijayawada and then proceed on to Itarsi for two days.
The next program is in Allahabad, from the 1st of Feb to the 5th. The contact in Allahabad is N.K Singh: 094509 61953. This program is supported by NCSTC, Ministry of HRD, Goverment of India.
From the 6th to the 10th of Feb there is a training program at Sitamarhi, Bihar. Contact : Suman - 09709748810 and 09608012094.
Miracle Persons of Rural India.
Kanya Proudha Shala Lohardhaga
For those of you who think that the people who perform miracles and have supernatural powers exist only in cities where the powers that be dwell, you are sadly mistaken. While we have people like Karnam Satya Naryana Raju (aka Satya Sai Baba) starting from such a background and now having followers from all over, I am sure that there are hundreds of such people in various parts of our country waiting for recognition and fame!
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Posted on 20 November 2008
Update: This is the first part in the series. Here are links to all the parts of Narandra Nayak’s rationalism tour of India: Intro, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
Narendra Nayak, the president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, is travelling India to train rationalists on how to investigate paranormal claims. His schedule can be found here.
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