Pratham namo Charvak, dwitiya Buddham sharnam,
Tritiya Ambedkar namo Lohia, Swamy Naicker Namo,
Chaturth Jotirao Phule vidhyadehi striyam,
Pancham namo namo Jagdev Laloo Yadavam
(First, I salute Charvak, second I take refuge in Buddha,
Third, I salute Ambedkar, Lohia and Swamy Naicker,
Fourth I salute Jotirao Phule for bringing education to women,
Fifth I salute Jagdev, Lalu Yadav)
This is the salutation of R.L. Chandra Bose, who is known as “Nastik Baba” in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district. Chandra Bose is the president of Bharat Nastik Mahasamaj, Jharkhand, and his wife Rang Nayika Bose is the founder of Bharatiya Shoshit Mahila Samaj, Jharkhand. Nastik Baba has written many books assailing Brahmanism, including the five-part Sudhar Nahi Kranti (Not reform, but revolution), Kalyug Ka Ravana (Ravana of Kaliyug), Sampoorna Kranti Banam Manu Smriti (Total Revolution versus Manusmriti), Ramayan Kyon Jalayee Jaye (Why Should Ramayana be Burnt), Nastik-Sister Samvad (Atheist-Sister Dialogue) and Nari, Nastik, Shudra Ko Samarpit Kavita (Poem Dedicated to Women, Atheists, Shudras). Through his books, he has been trying to persuade the Backwards, Dalits, Tribals and minorities not to fall into the trap of fatalism and god.
The Bose couple has been active in Arjak Sangh. They have been organizing “Pakhand Mitao Sammelan” (End Hypocrisy Conventions) and performing marriages the Arjak Sangh way. The Bose couple tell people that atheism means having no faith in Brahmanism, rebirth, fate, religion and caste. The couple wear only black clothes and people recognize them from a distance. They have played a key role in organizing Arjak Sangh conventions in the district. These conventions have been addressed by Chaudhary Maharaj Singh Bharati, Ramswaroop Verma, Suraj Singh Bhojpuria, Motiram Shastri, Ram Avdesh Singh, Prof Jairam Prasad and other Bahujan heroes. Nastik Baba, an MSc, LLB, retired from government service in the Telecommunications Department. He hails from Umerabad village in Arwal district of Bihar.
Published in the August 2015 issue of the FORWARD Press magazine
