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User:Allecher/Sanal Edamaruku

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Sanal Edamaruku
Born (1955-05-26) 26 May 1955 (age 69)
Thodupuzha, Kerala, India
Alma materUniversity of Kerala
Known forPresident of the Indian Rationalist Association and founder-President of Rationalist International
Parent(s)Joseph Edamaruku
Soley Edamaruku

Sanal Edamaruku is the founder-president of Rationalist International.[1] and the president of the Indian Rationalist Association. He is the editor of the internet publication Rationalist International, author of 25 books and numerous articles. In 2012, he was charged with hurting religious sentiments for his role in examining a claimed miracle at a local Catholic Church.

Life

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Early life

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Edamaruku was born in 1955 in Thodupuzha, Kerala, India to Joseph Edamaruku, an Indian scholar and author, and Soley Edamaruku.[2] Born in a Christian-Hindu mixed marriage, he was brought up without any kind of specific religious influence. At his parent's insistence he was the first student in India whose official school records listed "no religion".[3]

He became a rationalist-atheist activist at the age of 15, after seeing a neighbourhood athlete's death after her family refused medical treatment because they believed in faith-healing.[4] In 1977, he obtained a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Kerala. Afterwards, he got master's degree in philosophy from the department of South Asian studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in international studies. While writing his thesis towards his doctorate, he began working for the Afro-Asian Rural Reconstruction Organization. He gave up his job in 1982 to focus more on the Indian Rationalist Association and publishing his own works. He also has a diploma in Journalism.

Rationalist activism

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Edamaruku demonstrating a levitation trick.
 
Edamaruku demonstrating the trick to "create" holy ash in a village in Uttar Pradesh state in India.

Edamaruku has been active in the Indian Rationalist Association (IRA) from the age of 15. Before becoming the president in 2005 he served as the General Secretary since 1983,[5] and has been the editor of its mouthpiece Modern Freethinker. His many books and articles deal mainly with rationalistic thoughts and against superstition, which is prevalent in India. His writings in Rationalist International are translated into English, French, German, Spanish and Finnish.[6]

He has carried out investigations which helped expose frauds, mystics and god men as well as conducting campaigns against superstition in Indian villages.[2] These investigations have attracted the attention of print and television media throughout Asia. The documentary film Guru Busters[7] features Edamaruku and a team of rationalist campaigners on the road in Kerala giving public demonstrations of how to perform supposedly supernatural stunts. He is a regular TV commentator on various Indian TV channels explaining superstitions and blind belief and is a major voice in defense of reason and scientific temper in India.[2] He has also delivered lectures in various countries including the US and many European countries. He has helped to build the Indian Atheist Publishers, which is now Asia's largest free thought publishing house. He convened the three International Rationalist Conferences held in 1995, 2000, and 2002.[6]

In February 2011 Edamaruku was elected as a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry[8] and is an honorary associate of New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists and Rationalist Association of UK (formerly Rationalist Press Association.)[9] whose past members include Bertrand Russell, H G Wells, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud and Francis Crick.

The Great Tantra Challenge

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On 3 March 2008, while appearing on a panel TV show, Sanal Edamaruku challenged a tantrik to demonstrate his powers by killing Edamaruku using only magic.[2] The live show on India TV where the tantrik chanted mantras and performed a ceremony to kill Edamaruku received a large boost in ratings. After his attempts failed the tantrik reported that Edamaruku must be under the protection of a powerful god, to which Edamaruku responded that he is an atheist.[10][11]

Blasphemy Case

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In March 2012 Edamaruku investigated a report that a crucifix at Our Lady of Velankanni church in Mumbai was dripping water from the feet. [12] His research indicated that the dripping was caused by capillary action from a clogged drain.

In April 2012 the Catholic Church in Mumbai filed a complaint under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code in several police stations around the city.[2][13] Enacted in 1927, section 295A says:

Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of [citizens of India], [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both.[14]

The Archbishop of Mumbai has asked Edamaruku to apologize in exchange for dropping the charges but the All India Catholic Union says the law is being applied incorrectly.[15] Colin Gonsalves, the founder of the India Center for Human Rights and Law, stated his opinion that there was no criminal offense.[16] Other famous Indians have spoken in his defense publicly, such as Vishal Dadlani.[17] On 31 July 2012, it was reported that Edamaruku had moved to Finland and had been staying there for the past 6 months.[18][19] At present, he is campaigning in defense of free speech and against blasphemy laws in several European cities.

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Rationalist International".
  2. ^ a b c d e Schafer, R (March / April 2013). "Blasphemy, Free Speech, and Rationalism: An Interview with Sanal Edamaruku". The Humanist. Retrieved 2013-02-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)"Blasfemia, libertad de expresión, y el racionalismo: Una entrevista con Sanal Edamaruku". The Humanist/Europa Laicismo. March 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  3. ^ Kumar, Shikha. "I thought Jesus was Cinderella's brother". DNA India. Diligent Media Corporation. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  4. ^ Lad, Vrushali (6 May 2012). "Batting for reason in a land of faith". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  5. ^ Quack, Johannes (2012). Disenchanting India: Organized Rationalism and Criticism of Religion in India. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-19-981260-8.
  6. ^ a b Zuckerman, Phil (2010). Atheism and Secularity. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-313-35181-5.
  7. ^ "Eagle & Eagle". Eagletv.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
  8. ^ "CSI announces new Fellows". Retrieved 2011-08-07.
  9. ^ "Rationalist Association (UK) Board of Directors and Supporters".
  10. ^ "The Great Tantra Challenge". Retrieved 2008-03-25.
  11. ^ "India TV's Great Tantra Challenge". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  12. ^ Shaffer, Ryan (March 2013). "Blasphemy, Free Speech, and Rationalism: An Interview with Sanal Edamaruku". The Humanist. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  13. ^ Ashley D'Mello & Vijay V Singh (16 April 2012). "FIR against rationalist, cops call him for questioning". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  14. ^ http://www.vakilno1.com/bareacts/IndianPenalCode/S295A.htm
  15. ^ A Rationalist Fights to Disprove Miracles in India (Audio file). Public Radio International. 23 Nov 2012.
  16. ^ Dube, Priyanka (4 December 2012). "Indian rationalist stays in Finland fearing arrest for hurting religious sentiments". IBNLive. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  17. ^ Ghose, Sagarika. "Support pours in for Indian rationalist forced to live in Finland fearing arrest". CNN-IBN. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  18. ^ Karvonen, Hilkka. "Intialaisskeptikko pakeni Suomeen". Uutiset. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  19. ^ http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/rationalist-in-forced-exile-over-jesus-miracle_814520.html
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;Category:Indian skeptics ;Category:Rationalists ;Category:Indian atheists ;Category:1955 births ;Category:Living people ;Category:Malayali people ;Category:People from Kerala ;Category:Jawaharlal Nehru University alumni ;Category:University of Kerala alumni ;Category:Fellows of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry ;Category:Humanists ;Category:Atheism activists

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