Baba Amte

Murlidhar Devidas Amte (), popularly known as Baba Amte, (26 December 1914 – 9 February 2008) was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of people suffering from leprosy. on 26 December 1914 in the city of Hinganghat in Maharashtra. Murlidhar Amte acquired the nickname Baba in his childhood. His wife, Sadhanatai Amte, explains that he came to be known as Baba not because "he was regarded as a saint or a holy person, but because his parents addressed him by that name." He soon became involved in the Indian independence movement

However, one day his encounter with a leprosy patient Tulshiram, who was a veritable living corpse, filled him with fear. But Baba Amte and his wife used to prioritise the care and treatment and mainstreaming those affected by the dreaded disease of leprosy and lived amongst the affected and ensured that they got exemplary medical care which ended the scourge of the disease for them. under a tree.

Dedicated works of family members

Amte married Indu Ghuleshastri (later called Sadhanatai Amte). In 2008, Prakash and Mandakini received the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.

Amte's elder son Vikas and his wife Bharati run the hospital at Anandwan and co-ordinate operations with satellite projects. Anandwan has a university, an orphanage, and schools for the blind and the deaf. The Anandwan ashram is self-sufficient and has over 5,000 residents. Amte also used Gandhi's principles to fight against corruption, mismanagement, and poor, shortsighted planning in the government. However, Amte never disowned God. He used to say that if there are hundred thousands of universes then God must be very busy. Let us do our work on our own.

Narmada Bachao Andolan with Medha Patkar

In 1990, Amte left Anandwan for a while to live along the Narmada River and joined Narmada Bachao Andolan ("Save Narmada") movement one of whose popular leaders was Medha Patkar, which fought against both unjust displacement of local inhabitants and damage to the environment due to the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river.

Death

Amte died at Anandwan on 9 February 2008 By choosing to get buried rather than be cremated he followed the principles he preached as environmentalist and social reformer.

Ramon Magsaysay Award, 1985
Rashtriya Bhushan, 1978: FIE Foundation Ichalkaranji (India)
N.D. Diwan Award, 1980: National Society for Equal Opportunities for the 'Handicapped' (NASEOH), Bombay
Ramshastri Award, 1983: Ramshastri Prabhune Foundation, Maharashtra, India
Indira Gandhi Memorial Award, 1985: Government of Madhya Pradesh for outstanding social service
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award, 1986: Delhi
Fr. Maschio Platinum Jubilee Award, 1987: Bombay
G.D. Birla International Award, 1988: For outstanding contribution to humanism
Templeton Prize, 1990 [Baba Amte and Charles Birch (Emeritus professor of University of Sydney) were jointly awarded the prize in 1990]
Maharashtra Bhushan Award, 2004, Government of Maharashtra
Bharathvasa award, 2008
On 26 December 2018, search engine Google commemorated him on his 104th birthday, with a google doodle.

Honorary titles

D.Litt., Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India
D.Litt., 1980: Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
Krishi Ratna, 1981: Hon. Doctorate, PKV Agricultural University, Akola, Maharashtra, India
D.Litt., 1985–86: Pune University, Pune, India
Desikottama, 1988: Hon. Doctorate, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India
Mahatma Gandhi had conferred on Amte the title Abhayasadhak ("A Fearless Aspirant") for his involvement in the Indian independence movement.

Quotes

"I don't want to be a great leader; I want to be a man who goes around with a little oilcan and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-coloured robes. The mechanic with the oilcan: that is my ideal in life."

References

External links

Report on Anandwan
Report on Hemalkasa
Baba Amtes Jodo bharat Clip