Basava Premanand Biography 
Basava Premanand was a rationalist from Kerala in India. He was an eminent skeptic and Guru buster. He was born on 17th February 1930 in Kozhikode in Kerala. His parents were following the Theosophical society. In the year 1940 he dropped out of the school to take part in the Quit India Movement. He spent the next seven years in the Sri-Steila Gurukula where he got the Shantiniketan Wardha type of education.
He started to challenge the Indian godman Sathya Sai Baba around 1975. He spent his life to expose the paranormal phenomena. He was an amateur magician and gave explanations of miracles of gurus and god men. The British film maker Robert Eagle made the documentary Guru Busters featuring his teachings.
He targeted Sathya Sai Baba to expose the trickery. He marched towards Puttaparthi with 500 volunteers and was arrested in 1986. He filed case against Sai Baba for materializing gold objects for the violation of the Gold Control Act. However this was dismissed.
He participated in the Vigyan Yatra which was organized in 1982 by Maharashtra Lok Vidnyan to popularize the scientific thinking and in the Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha conducted in the 1987 for the same cause. He founded the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations to educate the people against the Gurus and Fakirs whom he considered as frauds. He was the convener of Indian CSICOP, the Tamil Nadu based skeptic group and an affiliate of CSICOP.
He was the owner cum editor of the monthly magazine The Indian Skeptic. He was described by BBC as the leading guru buster of India. In 1963, Abraham Kovoor declared a cash award of Rs. 100,000 for those who could prove the supernatural elements. After the death of Kovoor in 1978, this was continued by Basava Premanand.
He wrote many books in English and Malayalam that include Science Versus Miracles, Lure of Miracles, Divine Octopus, The Storm of Godmen, God and Diamond Smuggling, Satya Sai Greed, Satya Sai Baba & Gold Control Act, Investigate Balayogi, Murders in Sai Baba’s Bedroom, Satya Sai Baba & Kerala Land Reforms Act, Saibabayude Kalikal, Saidasikal Devadasikal, Pinthirippanmarude Masterplan, etc.
Published: N/A
Updated: September 22, 2017
