He took on godmen, temple trusts and even the State government. He was vilified, his events were disrupted and he was even physically attacked. Yet through it all, the diminutive Narendra Dabholkar (65) never lost his composure or sense of humour. He seemed to have a one-liner ready for any occasion. “People often ask me how I stay calm,” he once said in an interview. “They should not forget that I was an international level kabaddi player. I can take a fall in my stride.” On Tuesday, Dabholkar took a fall he couldn’t recover from. He was shot dead while on a morning walk in Pune by two gunmen. The deceptively gentle activist — always dressed in a simple khadi shirt — was among Maharashtra’s most prominent rationalists. Persuasive with those he wanted to convince and unrelenting in his campaign against superstition. In a country which celebrates godmen and obscurantists, Dabholkar succeeded in building a robust movement across villages, schools and colleges in Maharashtra. via Facebook...