Mumbai: Veteran poet, Lyrists and former Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akther has won the prestigious Richard dawkins award for 2020, the only Indian to win this award so far. The award is for his critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values.

The award has been named after English evolutionary, biologist Richard Dawkins. After the announcement of the award, the recipient Akther said I am glad that they noticed my fights for secular and rational values. Akther opposed unpopular, unscientific and orthodox views and policies through his social media posts and writings.

Akther’s wife cine actress Shabana Azmi said it’s a huge honour.