Goparaju Ramachandra Rao

Goparaju Ramachandra Rao (aka Gora) (November 15, 1902-1975) was an Indian atheist leader.

Early Days

Gora was born into a high caste Hindu family in India. He wrote in his autobiography, "We Become Atheists", that he grew up "conventionally orthodox and superstitious." He pursued a botany degree, eventually earning his Master's in botany at Presidency College in Madras. He married Saraswathi in 1922 when she was only 10.

Life and work

Gora devoted his life to propagating atheism. In 1940, he and his wife Saraswathi Gora co-founded the "Atheist Centre", in a small village in the Krishna district. On the eve of Independence in 1947, they moved the center to Vijayawada.

Throughout the 1940s he worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian independence movement, and after Gandhi's assassination retained his links with leaders of the Gandhian movement, especially Vinoba Bhave.

Gora wrote many books, such as "Atheism Questions and Answers", "An Atheist Around the World", "An Atheist with Gandhi", "The Need of Atheism", and "Positive Atheism". From 1949 on, he wrote a column on atheism, and began publishing The Atheist, a monthly, in 1969. Gora's atheism dictated his campaign to abolish the caste system with its "untouchables," and the idea of "karma" or divine fate. Gora died in 1975.The Atheist Center, which continued under the guidance of Saraswathi, provides counseling, promotes intercaste and casteless marriages, works to abolish child marriages, provides aid to prostitutes, unwed mothers and vulnerable women, debunks superstitious beliefs by holding firewalking demonstrations and debunking other "miracles," educates against belief in witchcraft and sorcery, promotes sexual education and family planning and many other reforms.

Postage Stamp

In 2002 the postal department of Government of India released a postage stamp of 5 rupee denomination commomerating Gora's birth centenary.

External links

* [http://atheistcentre.in/ Website of "Atheist Centre" established by Gora]
* [http://www.positiveatheism.org/tochgora.htm Writings of Gora]
* [http://www.positiveatheism.org/tocindia.htm Atheism in India]
* [http://www.buddhiwadi.org/Gora.htm "Gora" in "Rationalism, Humanism and Atheism in Twentieth Century Indian Thought"]