From Nastik Farm to anti-superstition law: Remembering Gujarat’s legendary anti-miracle crusader

By Jag Jivan 

In a major development for intellectual and social activism in Gujarat, a comprehensive memorial book titled "Ek Kiran - Rationalismnu" (A Ray of Rationalism) has been released at a formal function at the Ahmedabad Management Association. The book compiles the definitive thoughts, analytical writings, and lifelong contributions of the late Kiran Nanavati, a pioneering figure who spearheaded the rationalist and humanist movements across the state from the late 1970s until his demise. 

Published by Rational Prakashan and meticulously edited by close associate and fellow activist Lankesh Chakravarthy, the book serves as both an educational beacon and a historical roadmap for science-based social reform. ​The volume highlights Nanavati’s multifaceted journey, which began in earnest around 1977–78 when he joined an anti-miracle centre in Mumbai, inspired by leading international skeptics. 

Kiran Nanavati, who passed away on August 21, 2020, was born in Calcutta in 1950 and raised in Mumbai, and was deeply influenced by his parents, who instilled in him a spirit of inquiry and a moral compass that guided his life's work. The book reveals how his early exposure to a family environment free from rigid dogmas allowed him to question the world around him. As he himself wrote, his upbringing in a "cosmopolitan" style meant that he did not develop any particular belief in miracles, caste, or ghosts.

The volume chronicles Nanavati's journey from his college days in Mumbai, where he co-founded the "Chamatkar Chakasani Kendra" (Miracle Scrutiny Centre) with his friend Ajay Rationalist in the late 1970s. This was a period of intense activity, where they learned and demonstrated the scientific basis behind so-called miracles, often using the very techniques of magicians and god-men to expose their trickery. 

The book includes his own words on his core philosophy: "A skeptic is one who never says that something cannot happen, but says that unless it is proven, I will not accept it". This principle of falsification, he believed, was a core pillar of science. He and his colleagues organized "Vigyan Yatras" (Science Pilgrimages) in the 1980s, traveling to more than 40 towns and villages in Gujarat, challenging miracle-mongers and offering a one-lakh rupee reward for any genuine miracle, a challenge that remained unclaimed. He systematically expose the hidden chemistry, physics, and sleight-of-hand tricks used by fraudulent godmen to exploit vulnerable populations. 

Between 1988 and 1996, his foundational work found a regular voice through his publication "Rationalist Patrika" . His sharply written essays targeted deep-seated social exploitations, including the Palli Parivartan Abhiyan, which opposed wasting pure ghee in ritual fires, and his landmark decade-long campaign against the brutal physical abuse of tribal women under the guise of exorcism in Shamlaji. This relentless activism eventually paved the way for the historic enactment of the Anti-Superstition Law of 2024 in Gujarat.

​Nanavati firmly believed that intellectual honesty required absolute alignment between one's philosophy and daily behavior. In his own words preserved in the book, he noted that "Rationalism will spread most effectively when society can experience model individuals living a rationalist life." 

To achieve this harmony, he undertook radical personal experiments, which included establishing an alternative agricultural collective named Nastik Farm (Atheist Farm) in a village in Kheda district and even legally changing his surname to "Skeptic" for a fifteen-year period. 

Nanavati championed an uncompromising devotion to truth over dogma, frequently quoting Bertrand Russell to remind his peers that "It is only the superstitious or the mindless human who maintains an unchangeable opinion throughout life."

​As detailed in the book's foreword by retired JNU Professor Dr. Ghanshyam Shah, Nanavati eventually evolved from strict skepticism into holistic New Humanism, asserting that rationalism must step beyond just exposing tricks and actively address the human rights struggles of the marginalized. 

Beyond his rationalist crusade, the text documents Nanavati’s invaluable contributions as a ground-level social researcher who worked closely with legendary Netherlands-based anthropologist Jan Breman, embedding himself directly inside slums, brick kilns, and closed textile mills to document the harsh realities of migrant laborers.

​The launch of this book was made possible through extensive collaboration within the activist community, with key organizational and financial roles spearheaded by Pratik Munshi and Sheela Munshi. Primary materials were preserved with the help of rationalist leaders Girish Sundhiya, Natubhai Patel, and Piyush Jadugar, alongside a warm welcome by Dr. Sujat Vali, President of the Mumbai-Gujarat Rationalist Association. 

Published in June 2026 by Rational Prakashan for private, non-commercial distribution, the volume stands as an enduring monument to a man who looked at the world through the lens of logic and dedicated his entire life to dismantling the boundaries of ignorance.