Shyam Manav

Some Lesser Known Facts About Shyam Manav

• He regularly conducts workshops on memory-study techniques, family relations, and parenting.

• His father was an assistant to the Indian philosopher and human rights activist, Vinoba Bhave.

• During his childhood, he would often stay at Paunar Ashram in Wardha, Maharashtra, which was founded by Vinoba Bhave.

• The ashram was surrounded by several Gandhians who heavily influenced Shyam Manav.

• He was brought up in a conservative environment as a result of which he believed in various superstitions.

• In an interview, he said that he avoided walking barefoot as he believed that someone could use the soil he touched to make a black magic doll that could be used to harm him.

• While studying in college, he met several thinkers and discussed the philosophy of rationality with them. This helped him to get rid of his superstitious beliefs.

• During college, he became a member of ‘Tarun Shanti Sena,’ an organisation for youths that believed in creating a social system of equality, free from any exploitation.

• He was also a member of Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Wahini, a youth organisation which was led by India’s freedom fighter, Jayaprakash Narayan.

• In 1975-76, he was imprisoned for 9 months for protesting against the ‘Emergency’ declared by the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).

• After completing his college education, he became a lecturer of English Literature.

• He has worked as a journalist, publishing articles in newspapers and magazines such as Nagpur Patrika and Lokmat.

• In 1981, while working as a columnist for the Kirloskar magazine in Pune, he met rationalist B. Premanand who offered him science-based answers to his questions.

• Later, he accompanied B. Premanand on his tour of Maharashtra and served as a speaker against superstitions and blind faith.

• He founded Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ABANS), an organisation to fight against superstitions, in 1982.

• He conducts classes on personality development through self-hypnosis.

• He has a YouTube channel, where he discusses the issues related to rationality, superstitions, and personality development.

• Some of the influences on Shyam Manav include rationalist philosophers such as Sant Gadge Baba of Maharashtra and Dr. Abraham Kovoor of Kerala.

• In 2002, he put burning camphor in his mouth to prove it did not cause any harm.

  

• He helped develop and draft the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act for Maharashtra in 2013 after the murder of famous rationalist and fellow anti-superstition activist, Narendra Dabholkar.

• He has served as the joint president of the ‘Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee’ (PIMC), a committee formed by the Maharashtra Government to spread awareness about the Anti-Black Magic Act.

• He often issues challenges to people who claim to have divine powers and take advantage of the innocence of people for money.

• In 2022, he challenged the religious guru, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, who was visiting Nagpur and stated that he would pay him Rs. 30 lakhs if he could prove his divine powers.

• Shyam Manav filed a case against Shastri after he moved out of Nagpur a couple of days before the challenged date.

• After filing the case, Shyam Manav and his son received death threats. After filing a complaint, security around his house was increased.

• In a YouTube video, he revealed that he changed his surname to ‘Manav’ to avoid getting identified by his caste as surnames in India reveal the caste of a person.

• He has authored several books, including ‘Rahasyabhed Bhanamaticha’ (2012), ‘Buvabaji Bali Striyancha’ (2015), and ‘Jyotishshtra nasheeb kiti khar kiti khot?’ (2015).