Irreligion in India - Notable Indian Atheists

Notable Indian Atheists

Further information: Category:Indian atheists
  • A. K. Antony, current Defence Minister and former Chief Minister of Kerala
  • Abraham Kovoor
  • Adithya, actor
  • Amol Palekar, Bollywood and Marathi film actor
  • Baba Amte, social activist
  • Beechi, the Kannada humourist-philosopher, whose 'positive atheism' is similar to that of Douglas Adams
  • Bhagat Singh, one of the most well-known figures in the Indian independence movement
  • EMS namboothippadu First communist chief minister of india
  • Goparaju Ramachandra Rao, atheist activist and a participant in the Indian independence movement
  • Gopinath Muthukad, magician
  • H. Narasimhaiah, freedom fighter and socialist.
  • Irfan Habib, Marxist historian
  • Javed Akhtar, poet, lyricist and scriptwriter
  • Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.
  • K. Shivaram Karanth, Jnanpith awardee Kannada novelist.
  • Kamal Haasan, filmmaker and actor, known for making films having themes of both Atheism and Brahminical Hinduism.
  • Khushwant Singh, Journalist and Author of books such as Train to Pakistan
  • Kuvempu, Jnanpith awardee Kannada writer, novelist, poet.
  • M. Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
  • Narendra Dabholkar, founder president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti
  • Narendra Nayak, president of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations
  • Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, businessman, politician, Indian independence and social activist, who started the Self-Respect Movement and founder of the socio-cultural organisation, Dravidar Kazhagam..
  • Poornachandra Tejaswi, Kannada writer
  • P. L. Deshpande, Marathi writer and artist
  • R. P. Paranjpe, founding president of Indian Rationalist Association, and later High Commissioner of India in Australia and vice-chancellor of Bombay University
  • Ram Gopal Varma, film director.
  • Romila Thapar, historian
  • S. Nijalingappa, former Chief Minister of Karnataka
  • Sathyaraj, actor.
  • Shriram Lagoo, actor and rationalist activist.
  • Subhash Kapoor, film director, producer and screenwriter
  • Thilakan, Malayalam film actor
  • V.S. Achuthanandan, the former Chief Minister of Kerala
  • Vijay Tendulkar, Marathi writer and dramatist
  • Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the president of Hindu Mahasabha and the founder of the Hindutva movement, was also an atheist. He did not define "Hindutva" by religion, and used to publicly advertise lectures on atheism and non-existence of God.

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