Javed Akhtar Becomes 1st Indian to Win Richard Dawkins Award

Poet, lyricist, and writer Javed Akhtar has become the first Indian to win the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award for 2020 for critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress, and humanist values.

Previous recipients include American TV host, comedian, and political commentator Bill Maher, as well as English-American intellectual, philosopher, social critic, and writer Christopher Hitchens.

The citation states that recipient will be a distinguished individual from the fields of science, scholarship, education, or entertainment, who publicly proclaims the values of secularism and rationalism, upholding scientific facts wherever it may lead.

Mr. Akhtar, who is known for his strong, well-grounded, and fiercely independent views on polity, society, art, and culture and religion alike, said that he was deeply honoured.

“I have been a great admirer of Richard Dawkins ever since I read his first book The Selfish Gene. I received an email from him informing me that I had been unanimously selected for the award by the board of Centre for Inquiry USA in which The Richard Dawkins Foundation is housed. Richard Dawkins is a fierce advocate of empirical science over superstition. I have read all his books and they have strengthened my own views on the need to expose religious dogma as an enemy of critical thinking and rationality.”

Source: The Hindu