Modern day Gandhian Baba Amte passes away
Goodness seldom dies. And so in an age when there are social workers at literally the drop of a coin, the legacy of Muralidhar Devdas Amte or Baba Amte lives on. Baba Amte died today at the age of 94 in his ashram at Anandvan in Chitrapur. He had begun his life’s journey as a social worker from that very place about 40 years ago, taking forward the legacy of Shantivan and Sevagram and with it the spirit of the humanism that was alive in pre-independence India.
It was at Anandvan that Amte was first given 250 acres of land by the state government to start his work for leprosy patients. His work was not of charity, but that of creating a life of dignity and hard work for the patients.
What was achieved in Anandvan lives on today. It was but a laboratory for his vision of a life imbued with respect and self reliance, a model he wanted for the whole nation.
His ashram was home to destitutes and patients. Many of them had lost their fingers and feet due to the disease. Baba Amte not only trained himself to treat them, but also helped each of them acquire skills despite their handicap. These people under Baba Amte's guidance transformed this rocky and barren land into a model farm. This farm now produced vegetables and dairy products for neighbouring villages and is economically self sufficient. But most important of all, it is a place which has become an 'Abode of Joy' or 'Anandvan'.
Baba Amte was born into a wealthy Brahmin family and was trained in law. He joined the Indian freedom struggle against the British empire after he established himself as a trained lawyer. During his college holidays, Baba travelled all over India. He visited Shantiniketan, attracted by Rabindranath Tagore’s music and poetry. Closer to home, at Sewagram (Gandhiji’s ashram) near Wardha, Baba was equally fascinated with Gandhi’s relationship with God.
But it was the poetic simplicity of Maharashtra’s fiery social reformer, Sane Guruji, which pushed him into action. Baba Amte launched the Bharat Jodo movements from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 1985 and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh in 1988, with the mission of establishing peace and raising environmental consciousness.
Baba sought peace and justice, showed solidarity with tribals and was a big critic of the big dams like the Sardar Sarovar dam. In 1990, Baba Amte left Anandvan to live along the Narmada river to fight against social injustice to local inhabitants. Although he continued to support the movement for rehabilitation of tribals affected by the construction of large dams on the Narmada, he had recently returned to Anandvan for health reasons.
Amte brought out a booklet titled Cry O Beloved Narmada in July 1989, dubbing the Narmada project as a social, economic and ecological disaster-in-the-making. It also recounted the emerging protests against the mega dams. Baba concluded with an appeal to actively examine alternatives to big dams.
Decorated with various awards such as the Magsaysay award in 1985, the Damien Dutton award (the highest award in the field of leprosy) in 1983 and the International Gandhi Peace Prize, Baba Amte believed that the example of Gandhi will find followers in the coming generation. The efforts of Baba Amte are not lost voices in the deep either.
The Prime Minister condoled the death, describing Amte as "a Gandhian of our times".
Courtesy: Times of India, Indian Express, Business Standard
It was at Anandvan that Amte was first given 250 acres of land by the state government to start his work for leprosy patients. His work was not of charity, but that of creating a life of dignity and hard work for the patients.
What was achieved in Anandvan lives on today. It was but a laboratory for his vision of a life imbued with respect and self reliance, a model he wanted for the whole nation.
His ashram was home to destitutes and patients. Many of them had lost their fingers and feet due to the disease. Baba Amte not only trained himself to treat them, but also helped each of them acquire skills despite their handicap. These people under Baba Amte's guidance transformed this rocky and barren land into a model farm. This farm now produced vegetables and dairy products for neighbouring villages and is economically self sufficient. But most important of all, it is a place which has become an 'Abode of Joy' or 'Anandvan'.
Baba Amte was born into a wealthy Brahmin family and was trained in law. He joined the Indian freedom struggle against the British empire after he established himself as a trained lawyer. During his college holidays, Baba travelled all over India. He visited Shantiniketan, attracted by Rabindranath Tagore’s music and poetry. Closer to home, at Sewagram (Gandhiji’s ashram) near Wardha, Baba was equally fascinated with Gandhi’s relationship with God.
But it was the poetic simplicity of Maharashtra’s fiery social reformer, Sane Guruji, which pushed him into action. Baba Amte launched the Bharat Jodo movements from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 1985 and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh in 1988, with the mission of establishing peace and raising environmental consciousness.
Baba sought peace and justice, showed solidarity with tribals and was a big critic of the big dams like the Sardar Sarovar dam. In 1990, Baba Amte left Anandvan to live along the Narmada river to fight against social injustice to local inhabitants. Although he continued to support the movement for rehabilitation of tribals affected by the construction of large dams on the Narmada, he had recently returned to Anandvan for health reasons.
Amte brought out a booklet titled Cry O Beloved Narmada in July 1989, dubbing the Narmada project as a social, economic and ecological disaster-in-the-making. It also recounted the emerging protests against the mega dams. Baba concluded with an appeal to actively examine alternatives to big dams.
Decorated with various awards such as the Magsaysay award in 1985, the Damien Dutton award (the highest award in the field of leprosy) in 1983 and the International Gandhi Peace Prize, Baba Amte believed that the example of Gandhi will find followers in the coming generation. The efforts of Baba Amte are not lost voices in the deep either.
The Prime Minister condoled the death, describing Amte as "a Gandhian of our times".
Courtesy: Times of India, Indian Express, Business Standard
posted by deepamariam @ 3:54 AM
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