| 33rd | Top people from Maharashtra |
| 42nd | Top Marathi people |
| 14th | Top Magsaysay awardees |
| Murlidhar Devidas Amte | |
|---|---|
 Baba Amte |
|
| Born | 26 December 1914 Hinganghat, Maharastra, British India |
| Died | 9 February 2008 (aged 93) Anandwan, Maharastra, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Spouse(s) | Sadhana Amte |
| Children | Dr. Vikas Amte Dr. Prakash Amte |
Murlidhar Devidas Amte, popularly known as Baba Amte (Marathi: बाबा आमटे) (December 26, 1914 – February 9, 2008) was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy[1].
Contents |
Amte was born to Devidas and Laxmibai Amte in the town of Hinganghat in Wardha District of Maharashtra. The family was a wealthy jagirdar Brahmin family. His father was also a British official with responsibilities for district administration and revenue collection[2]. Amte had acquired his nickname Baba in his childhood[3][4][5].
Trained in law, Amte developed a successful legal practice at Wardha. He soon got involved in the Indian struggle for freedom from the British Raj, and started acting as a defense lawyer for leaders of the Indian freedom movement whom the British authorities had imprisoned in the 1942 Quit India movement. He spent some time at Sevagram ashram of Mahatma Gandhi, and became a follower of Gandhism for the rest of his life. He practiced various aspects of Gandhism, including yarn spinning using a charkha and wearing khadi.
Amte founded three ashrams for treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, disabled people, and people from marginalized sections of the society in Maharashtra, India.
In 1973, Amte founded the Lok Biradari Prakalp to work among the Madia Gond tribal people of Gadchiroli District.
Amte devoted his life to many other social causes, the most notable among which were generating public awareness of importance of ecological balance, wildlife preservation, and the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
In 1946, Amte married Sadhana Guleshastri[3]. She actively participated in her husband's social work with equal dedication. Their two sons, Vikas and Prakash, and two daughters-in-law, Mandakini and Bharati, are all doctors. All four have dedicated their lives to social work and causes similar to those of the senior Amtes.
Son Prakash runs "Maharogi Sewa Samiti" (Leprosy Service Society). He and his wife Mandakini also run a school and a hospital at Hemalkasa village in the underprivileged district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra where people belonging to the "Madia Gond" tribe live. After marrying Prakash, Mandakini left her governmental medical job and moved to Hemalkasa to eventually start a hospital, a school, and an orphanage for injured wild animals, including a lion and some leopards. Their two sons, Digant, a doctor, and Aniket, an engineer, have also dedicated their lives to the same causes as their parents.[6][7]. In 2008, Prakash and Mandakini were given the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership [8].
Baba Amte's elder son Vikas and his wife Bharati run a hospital at Anandwan and coordinate operations between Anandwan and satellite projects[9].
In those days, leprosy was associated with social stigma and the society disowned people suffering from leprosy. There was also a widespread misbelief that leprosy was contagious. Amte strove to dispel the misbelief and once allowed bacilli from a leprosy patient to be injected into him while participating in an experimental test aimed at proving that leprosy was not contagious[10].
Today, Anandwan and Hemalkasa village have one hospital, each. Anandwan has a university, an orphanage, and schools for the blind and the deaf. Currently, the self-sufficient Anandwan ashram has over 5,000 residents[4]. The community development project at Anandwan in Maharashtra is recognized around the world. Besides Anandwan, Amte later founded "Somnath" and "Ashokwan" ashrams for treating leprosy patients.
His philosophy:
I sought my soul, my soul I could not see;
I sought my God, my God eluded me;
I sought my brother and found all three.
Amte followed Gandhi's way of living, and led a spartan life. He wore khadi clothes made from the looms at Anandwan. He believed in Gandhi's concept of a self-sufficient village industry that empowers seemingly helpless people, and successfully brought his ideas into practice at Anandwan.
Amte also used Gandhian principles to fight against corruption, mismanagement, and poor, shortsighted planning in the government. Thus, he used non-violent means to fight the Indian government in the fight of independence [11].
In spite of his emulation of social and political work, unlike Gandhi, Amte was an atheist[12].
In 1990, Amte left Anandwan for a while to live along the Narmada River and join Medha Patkar's Narmada Bachao Andolan ("Save Narmada" Movement), which fought against both unjust displacement of local inhabitants and damage to the environment on account of the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river[13][14].
Amte was not physically well during his later years. He was confined to the bed due to a severe spondylosis condition. In 2007, he was diagnosed with leukemia.
Amte died in Anandwan on February 9, 2008. Respecting his wishes, his body was buried instead of being cremated, the traditional funeral of Hindus.
Upon Amte's death, the 14th Dalai Lama, said, "Amte's demise is a great loss to all of us. I am an admirer of Baba Amte. I vividly remember my visit to his thriving community of handicapped people at Anandvan in 1990"[15].
"I don't want to be a great leader; I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-colored robes. The mechanic with the oilcan: that is my ideal in life."[2] (Self-description given to British journalist Graham Turner)
"I am leaving to live along the Narmada. Narmada will linger on the lips of the nation as a symbol of all struggles against social injustice." (About going to the Narmada valley to support Narmada Bachao Andolan)
"One can live without fingers, but not self-respect."
"I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see, I sought my god, but my god eluded me; And then I sought my sisters and my brothers, and in them I found all three."
"The air is not thin yet, so keep climbing." AG
|
|||||
|
|||||
   | Wisdom Song, life of Baba Amte - WISDOM SONG: the life of Baba Amte |
| | 1985 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service - Murlidhar Devidas Amte - 1985 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service - Murlidhar Devidas Amte |
| | Biography - { Maharogi Sewa Samiti: Baba Amte Biography } |
| | Maharogi Sewa Samiti - { Maharogi Sewa Samiti } |
| | Inspiring Quotes of Baba Amte - MSS - Baba Amte's Inspirational Quotes |
| | Social workers Drs. Prakash and Manda Amte inspire listeners at Asha NYC/NJ - Asha for Education :: New York City & New Jersey Chapter :: events :: Events :: Events_2003 :: Social workers Drs. Prakash and Manda Amte inspire listeners at Asha NYC/NJ |
| | The Miracle Worker - Rediff On The NeT, Freedom: An interview with Baba Amte |
| | After 50 years what democracy is this? - Rediff On The NeT, Freedom: An interview with Baba Amte |
| | Love in the time of want - Love in the time of want |
| | Amte: The last follower of Mahatma Gandhi - Amte was the last follower of Mahatma Gandhi |
| | Right Livelihood Award: 1991 - Medha Patkar & Baba Amte / Narmada Bachao Andolan - Right Livelihood Award: 1991 - Medha Patkar & Baba Amte / Narmada Bachao Andolan |
| | Baba Amte - Walking with You |
| | Handcrafted greeting cards made by residents of Anandwan - Anandwan Greetings Handmade Greeting cards for a social cause |
| | Baba Amte: The Gandhi after that Gandhi - Baba Amte: The Gandhi after that Gandhi |
| | Baba Amte Obituary: The Economist - Baba Amte | Economist.com |
| | His Holiness the Dalai Lama mourns the demise of Baba Amte - His Holiness the Dalai Lama mourns the demise of Baba Amte - www.phayul.com |
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
