History of the MANS Organization:

Profile of Dr. Narendra Dabholkar

History of the MANS Organization:

Shri B. Premananda, the well known Rationalist from Kerala had toured Maharashtra in the year 1983. During this tour, he held a number of lectures and demonstrations to expose the so called miracles performed by self proclaimed god men for the first time in Maharashtra. There was a tremendous response to these lectures from the public. Inspired by these demonstrations and people’s response to them enthusiastic workers undertook the challenging task of eradicating superstitions at many places in the state of Maharashtra. In order to coordinate and unite all these separate individual efforts, an organization called ‘the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti’ (MANS) was formed in 1989. MANS rapidly and successfully spread the work of eradication of superstition to cover most of Maharashtra state. To day the MANS has 170 branches covering all the districts of Maharashtra and thousands of volunteers. The Samiti has enlarged its scope by initiating a number of novel activities and has thereby become very popular. It has become a peoples’ movement. A few important activities are mentioned below.

MANS has declared an award of Rs. 1,100,000./-  to be given to any one who can perform a miracle that can successfully pass all required scientific tests. The award money has been collected through people’s contribution and is held in reserve as Bank Deposit.

In the Konkan area of Maharashtra People still firmly believe in the existence of ghosts. MANS undertook a state wide tour called ‘Shodh Bhutacha Bodh Manacha’ (Unearthing ghosts: Enlightening Minds) to oppose this misconception. In this activity the MANS workers explained to the people how and why the misconceptions and superstitions about ghosts grow and spread. They were also educated and informed with the help of demonstrations regarding the human mind, mental illness and how to treat a person suffering from mental illness.

More than thousands of cases of Bhanamati (refer to the glossary for explanation) are reported to various MANS branches every year requesting for help. MANS has successfully solved these cases of mental disturbance and the nuisance of Bhanamati in these cases has disappeared.

A sustained activity to eradicate Bhanamati that manifests itself in the form of mental illness is being carried out with the help of psychiatrists since the last ten years in the Marathwada Region. The results show a drastic reduction in the number of such Bhanamati cases in this region.

People are afraid of snakes and harbour many superstitions regarding them. MANS workers regularly hold demonstrations with the help of regional snake experts, to educate people regarding snakes, snakebites, treatment for snakebites, superstitions about snakes, their importance to environment and the need for preservation of this species. MANS had organized campaigns in the Ratnagiri, Sindhudurga, Goa, and Belgaon and other regions to enlighten people regarding the importance of snakes in the environment.

Enlightenment of people at the grass root level being the aim of the organization, MANS workers deliver thousands of lectures through out Maharashtra.

Dr. Narendra Dabholkar

 Executive President

Bio Data                              

 Address-Parivartan, Sahayog Hospital, Sadar Bazaar, Satara.

 Qualification: -  MBBS.

Dr. Dabholkar was educated in the New English School in Satara. 

He studied in Willington College in Sangli. 

He did his M. B. B. S. from Miraj medical college in the year 1970.  

In college he was the captain of the Shivaji University Kabaddi team.  This team was thrice runner-ups in the all India inter-University tournaments. He represented India against Bangladesh in a Kabaddi tournament.  He won the most prestigious Chatrapati Shivaji Krida Puraskar for Kabaddi from the government of Maharashtra.

He practiced as a general practitioner for nearly 12 years after which he joined active social work.

In the beginning he was associated with the movements for social justice and equality and at that time he worked with Baba Adhav, in the "One Village One drinking water well" agitation.

In 1983 he started working in the field of superstition eradication.  In 1989 along with other like-minded people, he founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti.  Starting with a few branches it has grown to a People's movement having more than 170 branches in nearly all districts of Maharashtra.  He has been the Executive President ( Karyadhyaksha) of  MANS from the beginning.

He has written 11 books on various aspects of superstitions and their eradication.  In the past 20 years he has confronted many Babas, Buas, Tantrics, Mantrics, etc. and has led many agitations against many forms of superstitions, water pollution, animal sacrifice etc.

He is also the founder member of a di-addiction Institute named Parivartan.  This is the only Institute of its kind in the districts of Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Konkan.  It is based in Satara.

At present he is also the editor of the weekly Sadhana, which was started by the great freedom fighter and social worker late Sane Gurujee.

He is also the Executive President of the ‘Vivekavahini’ an organization of College Teachers and Students of Maharashtra. He is also a trustee of ‘Sakruni’ the organisations which gives monitory help to needy volunteers doing work for worthy social cause.