Mumbai, August 20, 2026: Anti-superstition activists from the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) and other organisations held a ‘Fearless Morning Walk’ across Maharashtra on Thursday to mark the 13th death anniversary of social reformer and MANS founder Dr Narendra Dabholkar.
In Mumbai, members of the MANS district unit organised a walk in Bhatwadi, Ghatkopar, demanding the identification, arrest and prosecution of the alleged masterminds behind the killings of Dabholkar, Communist leader Govind Pansare, scholar Dr M M Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh.
Dabholkar, who played a key role in drafting Maharashtra’s anti-superstition legislation — the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 — was shot dead while out on his morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013.
Activists Protest Bail Decision
The activists also protested against the Bombay High Court’s August 18 decision to grant bail to Sachin Andure, convicted in the Dabholkar murder case, and suspend his life sentence pending the hearing of his appeal. While granting relief, the court observed that the evidence against Andure was “extremely weak” and that there were “fair chances” of his acquittal in the appeal.
Addressing the gathering in Ghatkopar, MANS Mumbai district working president Yash Suryawanshi reviewed the progress of the murder investigation and questioned why the alleged masterminds had not yet been identified and arrested. He said MANS would continue to question the government and exercise its constitutional rights until those responsible for allegedly masterminding the killings were brought to justice.
The walk began at Bhatwadi Ganesh Temple and proceeded through the Waghdawala jogging track and LBS Road. A poster exhibition was also organised, while participants raised slogans such as “Phule-Shahu-Ambedkar” and “We are all Dabholkar”.
Trupti Patil, a lawyer and MANS activist, said the walks were organised to send out the message that “killing a person cannot kill an idea”.
MANS Marks Annual Walk
MANS state general secretary Vijay Parab said the organisation has been holding the event every year to underline that activists would not be intimidated by Dabholkar’s killing.
“It has been 13 years since Dabholkar was assassinated. Since he was murdered during his morning walk, we organise this every year to show that we are not afraid to go for morning walks,” Parab said.
He added that MANS was also demanding that the Centre enact legislation similar to Maharashtra’s anti-superstition law. According to Parab, similar legislation has already been enacted in states including Karnataka and Gujarat.
“If such a law is enacted at the national level, it will be very beneficial, and our efforts are ongoing. We have a committee comprising two to three judges and senior advocates who are working on drafting the proposal. The draft is currently in its final stages,” Parab said.
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He added that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also raised the need for such legislation in the Lok Sabha. “Once the draft is finalised, we plan to submit it,” he said.
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