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The publication by the Telugu Academy of History of Rationalist and Humanist Movements in Andhra Pradesh, by Ravipudi Venkatadri and Penmetsa Subba Raju, is the inspiration for this overview of Humanism in a state which sent the largest delegation – 120 members – to IHEU’s World Humanist Congress in Mumbai, 1999. Andhra Pradesh, in south central India, is one of the country’s 26 states. Its capital, Hyderabad, founded 400 years ago by a Muslim ruler, has been described by National Geographic magazine as a city to watch in the present century, thanks to its booming software and service industries. Along the popular promenade of Tank Bund that dams the Hussain Sagar Lake linking Hyderabad and its twin city Secunderabad, are statues of illustrious people, honoured for their contributions to society. Among the 33 statues are Hindu kings, Muslim rulers, Indian freedom fighters, Telugu and Urdu poets, and an Englishman. My interest is in the statues of those who laid the foundations of the Humanist and Rationalist movements in the state: the 17th-century deist and poet Vemana; the late 19th-century social reformers Gurjada Appa Rao and Kandukuri Veerasalingam Pantulu; and the early 20th-century playwright Tripuraneni Ramaswamy who, as the inscription declares, slayed orthodoxy with his literary “sword of rationalism”. The Government of India issued a postage stamp in Ramaswamy’s memory in 1987, and the Telugu University has instituted an annual Rationalist Award in his name.

In the centre of the Hussain Sagar Lake, on the other side of the promenade, is a 72-foot-high, 450-tonne, monolithic white granite statue of the Buddha, reminding the visitor of the region’s Jain and Buddhist heritage. Nagarjuna, the second century AD founder of the Madhyamika School of Buddhism was born here. Andhra Pradesh was an important ancient centre of Buddhist learning. One half of the Amaravati Stupa was removed by the colonizers and can be found today in the British Museum in London.

The Humanists and rationalists of past and present have worked in desperate social conditions and a hostile cultural atmosphere. Despite their establishment of smooth administration and an equitable legal system, the colonizing English did little on their own to civilize Indian social customs for fear of antagonizing the locals. Legislation enabling widow remarriages, for example, was only introduced by pressure from Indian social reformers, despite claims of civilizing missions made by the colonizers. Unfortunately, the present rulers are not radically different... And if there has been some limited progress it is because of brave and dedicated life work by Humanists, rationalists and atheists like Tapi Dharma Rao (1887–1973), Gora (1902–1975), and others. In the 1900s Andhra Pradesh was fertile soil for the Radical Humanist movement of M.N. Roy and his associates, the non-Brahmin self-respect movements, and the Justice Party from the South, which was founded to counter the influence of the Brahmin- dominated Indian Congress Party led by Mahatma Gandhi. There was also a time when the Telugu literary field had a clear Humanist profile.

In a state half the size of France, with diverse historical influences, and a significant Muslim minority, it is unsurprising to find a number of Humanist, rationalists and atheist organizations with varying emphases: the Atheist Society of India, the Radical Humanist Centre, Inkollu, Chirala Renaissance Institute, two Rationalist Associations of Andhra Pradesh, the Humanist and Ethical Association of Hyderabad, and the Institute for Advancement of Women, to name a few. They publish 10 journals in Telugu and English, including Hetuvadi, Rationalist Voice, Nastika Margam, and The Atheist. Vijayavihaaram, a popular monthly with a Humanist orientation which fearlessly exposes the god- man Satya Sai Baba, has a print run of 35,000. A recent catalogue showed nearly 450 Humanist book titles available for sale in the Telugu language. Several universities include M.N. Roy’s Humanist philosophy as part of their Philosophy and Political Science curriculum. The Atheist Centre, an Associate Member and recipient of IHEU’s International Humanist Award for pioneering social reform activities, and in memory of whose founder, Gora, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in 2002, is based in Vijayawada. The Atheist Centre’s activities stand as an internationally recognized monument to atheist and Humanist social action. Not very far from Vijayawada is the independent Charvaka School run by B. Ramakrishna in Nidamarru, with its own textbooks on atheist morality for children. In nearby Chirala is Viveka Vidyalayam, a Humanist school and an associate member of IHEU, with about 150 students. Several leaders of the Rationalist Association of India, a full member of IHEU, are also based in Chirala, a strong centre for Humanist thought.

Many individuals, too, have tried to support Humanism and rationalism in their own way. Volunteers run rationalist book stalls in Nellore and Nalgonda. Gurajala Seetharamayya has created a rationalist lodge in Tenali town – guests at the Naveena Lodge will find literature by rationalists like Tripuraneni in their desks, not Gideon Bibles. Some have added “Nastik” (meaning “atheist”) to their names to reflect their way of life. A carpenter by profession, D. Peralingam has named his bicycle “Vehicle for Rationalist Consciousness”, painted rationalist slogans on it, fixed a microphone to it, and plays Humanist songs and speeches as he travels.

Bringing together many of these diverse Humanist activities to create a strong and powerful profile and unified identity for Humanism in the state is FARA – the Federation of Rationalist, Atheist and Humanist organizations of Andhra Pradesh. It is headed by veteran journalist and Humanist, and Chair of IHEU Committee on Religious Abuse of Children, Dr. Innaiah. Under Dr. Innaiah’s leadership Humanism and rationalism have received prominent publicity in the media. Jana Vigyana Vedika, a science popularization organization, is a close collaborator. The rationalist and Humanist movement has the active support of Dr. P.M. Bhargava, a distinguished biochemist, and Professor Balasubramanyam, the 1997 winner of UNESCO’s Kalinga Award for Popularization of Science. Justice Sambasiva Rao, a respected ombudsman, and the feminist Malladi Subbamma are both closely associated with Humanism. With such support and leadership, but also facing the growth of Hindu nationalism, the movement has great strengths but many challenges as well.