Indian rationalists use Facebook to fight intolerance Published duration 20 October 2015

image copyright Sanal image caption Sanal Edamaruku lives in Finland in self-imposed exile

More than 40 Indian writers have returned their literary awards to protest against the "growing intolerance in the country" after a series of incidents, including the killings of writers and rationalists. BBC Monitoring's Vikas Pandey speaks to some Indian activists who are using Facebook to continue educating people about "rational and tolerant" thinking.

Sanal Edamaruku fondly remembers his friend Malleshappa Kalburgi and his work as a rational thinker.

Dr Kalburgi, 77, was shot dead in August at his home in the southern state of Karnataka. He was known for his free views which often angered right-wing Hindu activists.

Mr Edamaruku says other free thinkers like Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar have also been killed for their thoughts and beliefs in the past three years.

"Dr Kalburgi was a free-spirited thinker and writer. He disagreed with right-wing politicians but that doesn't mean he deserved to be shot at his home. The incident is so unfortunate and shows the growing intolerance in our country," he says.

Most of the writers agree with Mr Edamaruku and have cited similar reasons for returning their Sahitya Akademi award - one of the highest honours bestowed on Indian authors.

But the rationalist thinker, who now lives in Finland in self-imposed exile , says social media can be a great equaliser in his fight to promote free thinking and protect freedom of speech in the country.

He was charged with blasphemy in 2012 after questioning the "miracles" of a church in Mumbai.

image caption Dr Kalburgi was a leading scholar and well-known rationalist thinker

"I received several threats after the incident and decided to leave the country for a while, but I haven't been able to come back. The situation for free thinkers in the country has further deteriorated since 2012," he says.

Mr Edamaruku says there seems to be a pattern in the killing of the rationalists "because all three were shot by strangers".

"These are tough times, but we can't afford to be silent. Social media has helped me tremendously in keeping my campaign going from abroad," he says.

Mr Edamaruku runs the India Rationalist Association page which has close to 5,000 members. His own public page has more than 17,000 followers.

"Social media helps me stay connected with my fellow thinkers. I don't know when I can come back, but Facebook helps me not feel too isolated from India."

He urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to take notice of these issues to protect India's social harmony.

Like his fellow rationalists, Mr Edamaruku thinks that India's society is increasingly becoming intolerant towards non-majoritarian views.

"I used to go to villages in the 90s to bust superstitions and miracles of godmen. I never felt threatened. I continued the same in the next decade. People used to disagree with our views, but nobody threatened to kill us."

He says that people understood that "our mission was not to challenge religions, but to encourage them in questioning superstitions".

But that seems to have changed. Many writers decided to return their awards after the killing of a man "over what kind of meat he ate" in northern India.

image copyright AFP image caption Mohammad Akhlaq was killed by a mob in late September allegedly over rumours that his family had been storing and consuming beef at home

Mohammad Akhlaq, 50, was killed in a mob lynching in late September allegedly over rumours that his family had been storing and consuming beef at home.

The slaughter of cows is a sensitive issue in India as the animal is considered sacred by Hindus, who comprise 80% of the country's 1.2bn people.

'Provocative content'

Soorya Sriram is one of the administrators of the Indian Atheists page, which has more than 38,000 followers. It promotes rational thinking and "stands for secular humanism".

He also acknowledges the growing intolerance in the country.

"Religious extremists have and will continue using violence as their weapon of choice. This is because they do not have reason on their side," he says.

image copyright Indian Atheists

Mr Sriram says he is confident that forums like Facebook will continue to help them air their views to a wider audiences.

"Facebook now holds a significant position in our actions and discussions. Our message is delivered and shared widely via Facebook," he says.

The page is known for its provocative content. He defends the strategy, saying that "our posts seem provocative mainly because they speak the truth".

"We do not insult beliefs or gods randomly as it serves no inherent purpose. But we openly criticise gods and beliefs that promote various forms of discrimination and oppression, such as the caste system, misogyny, support of murder, etc," he says.