Baba Amte (Marathi: बाबा आमटे) (December 26, 1914 - February 9, 2008), born Murlidhar Devidas Amte was a respected Indian social activist. He was the founder of several ashrams and communities for the service of leprosy patients and other marginalized people shunned by society. Anandwan (literally, "Forest of Joy"), located in the remote and economically less privileged district of Chandrapur, Maharashtra, is the most well-known amongst them and was his home. Marathi (मराठी ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western India. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Social activists are people who act as the conscience and voice of many individuals within a society. ... An Ashram (Pronounced aashram) in ancient India was a Hindu hermitage where sages (See Rishi) lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. ... For the malady found in the Hebrew Bible, see Tzaraath. ... , Chandrapur is a city and a municipal council in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India. ... , Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , IPA  , translation: Great Nation) is Indias third largest state in area and second largest in population after Uttar Pradesh. ...

Baba Amte dedicated his life to various other social causes, the most notable of which were environmental awareness, wildlife preservation and the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Narmada Bachao Andolan logo Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) (Save Narmada Movement) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that mobilised tribal people, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada river, Gujarat, India. ...

Early life and family

Amte was born in Hinganghat located in Wardha District of Maharashtra state of India in a wealthy family of Brahmin jagirdars. He was called as baba (an affectionate title in Marathi, which can also be interpreted as a title of respect) not because it was conferred upon him but since it was a nickname given to him by his parents.^[1]. Trained in law, Baba Amte had a lucrative practice at Wardha. It was then that he got involved in Indian freedom struggle and started acting as a defence lawyer for leaders imprisoned in the 1942 Quit India movement. He was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, with whom he spent some time in Sevagram Ashram. Baba Amte was follower of Gandhism for his entire life. He practiced various aspects of Gandhism including weaving and wearing khadi, dedicating his life to the cause of upliftment of the downtrodden classes of society. Hinganghat is a town and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. ... Wardha District is located in Maharashtra state. ... , Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , IPA  , translation: Great Nation) is Indias third largest state in area and second largest in population after Uttar Pradesh. ... The Sanskrit word denotes the scholar/teacher, priest, caste, class (), or tribe, that has been traditionally enjoined to live a life of learning, teaching and non-possessivenes . ... Zamindar, also known as Zemindar, Zamindari, or the Zamindari System (Persian: زمیندار) were employed by the Mughals to collect taxes from peasants. ... Marathi (मराठी ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western India. ... “Gandhi” redirects here. ... Sevagram is Hindi for village of servants and the name of a village in the state of Maharashtra, India which was the place of Mohandas Gandhis ashram. ... Gandhism (or Gandhi-ism) is an informal reference to the vision, core inspirations, principles, beliefs and philosophy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement. ... khadi simply means cotton Khadi is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. ...

In 1946, Baba got married to Sadhana Guleshastri, who was later referred to by community members as Sadhanatai or simply Tai ("elder sister" in Marathi). Their two sons, Vikas and Prakash, are both doctors. Both have dedicated their lives to social work and causes similar to those of their parents. Elder son Vikas Amte runs the Maharogi Sewa Samiti ("Leprosy Service Society"). Vikas, along with his wife Dr. Bharati Amte, coordinates operations between Anandwan and satellite projects while also running a hospital at Anandwan.^[2]

Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte run a school and a hospital at Hemalkasa village in the underprivileged district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. While on a picnic to Bhamragad in Gadchiroli along with his father, Prakash Amte, then a doctor doing his post doctoral studies, was very moved after seeing the misery of Madia Gond tribes in Hemalkasa. In the meanwhile he got married to Dr. Mandakini Amte (later known as Mandatai) who left her government job and moved to Hemalkasa to eventually start a hospital, school and an orphanage for injured wild animals including a lion, leopards and more. Their sons Digant and Aniket are both doctors themselves have decided to dedicate their lives to the same cause.^[3][4] Gadchiroli is a district in Maharashtra, India. ... , Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , IPA  , translation: Great Nation) is Indias third largest state in area and second largest in population after Uttar Pradesh. ... , Bhamragad is a town and a tehsil and a district sub-division in Gadchiroli district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. ...

Anandwan and the fight against leprosy

Anandwan was the first of the three ashrams started by Baba Amte to treat and rehabilitate leprosy victims from the disadvantaged sections of society. After taking a leprosy orientation course at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, Baba Amte began his fight against leprosy. He used to set up about 11 weekly clinics around Warora, in Chandrapur district. Taking his work to the next level, he started the "Anandwan" (Forest of Joy) ashram in a remote jungle near Warora to help rehabilitate patients.^[5] Anandwan was registered in 1951 and received a a state land grant of 250 acres (1.0 km²). In those days, leprosy was associated with social stigma and patients were disowned by society. It was then believed that leprosy patients were sinners, paying for sins they had committed. There was also a widespread fear that leprosy was contagious and could be spread by touch. Baba Amte strove to dispel these myths and once even allowed bacilli from a leprosy patient to be injected into him while participating in an experimental test.^[6] Warora, a town, is located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state, India. ...

Baba Amte also founded the Somnath and Ashokvan ashrams for treating leprosy patients. The community development project at Anandwan in Maharashtra is recognised and respected around the world and has done much to dispel prejudice against leprosy victims. Baba Amte was given the Damien-Dutton award from the Damien-Dutton Leprosy Society for his work in the year 1983. Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial...

Today, Anandwan has two hospitals, a university, an orphanage and also a school for the blind. The self-sufficient ashram unit has more than 5,000 people residing in it.^[7]

Baba Amte and Gandhism

Baba Amte believed in Gandhism and followed the ideals laid by Gandhi. After his stay at Sevagram, Gandhi's ashram near Wardha, Baba Amte was fascinated by Gandhi and became his disciple. Gandhi conferred upon Baba Amte the title Abhayasadhak (translated as The Fearless Aspirant), for his fight against leprosy. Gandhism (or Gandhi-ism) is an informal reference to the vision, core inspirations, principles, beliefs and philosophy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement. ... “Gandhi” redirects here. ... Sevagram is Hindi for village of servants and the name of a village in the state of Maharashtra, India which was the place of Mohandas Gandhis ashram. ... Wardha is a city in Maharashtra, India. ...

All his life, Baba Amte was a follower of the Gandhian philosophy and lead a spartan life. He wore khadi clothes from the looms of Anandwan, and ate fruits and vegetables grown in Anandwan. He believed in the concept of a self-sufficient village industry for the empowerment of seemingly helpless people, and successfully brought his ideas into practice when he established Anandwan. Gandhian is a person who lives his life practicing the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi, that is, one who follows Gandhism or the Gandhian philosophy. ... khadi simply means cotton Khadi is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. ...

Baba Amte also used Gandhian principles to fight against the government. He used the same non-violent means to fight the Indian government during the Narmada Bachao Andolan that Gandhi used against the British Raj.^[8] Nonviolence (or non-violence), whether held as a moral philosophy or only employed as an action strategy, rejects the use of physical violence in efforts to attain social, economic or political change. ... Narmada Bachao Andolan logo Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) (Save Narmada Movement) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that mobilised tribal people, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada river, Gujarat, India. ... Anthem God Save The King-Emperor The British Indian Empire, 1909 Capital Calcutta (1858 - 1912) New Delhi (1912 - 1947) Language(s) Hindustani, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1858-1901 Victoria¹  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George VI Viceroy...

In spite of his emulation of Gandhi's social and political work, Baba Amte was himself entirely non-religious, and was an atheist.^[9]

Narmada Bachao Andolan

In 1990, Baba Amte left Anandwan to live along the Narmada river and to join Medha Patkar's Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement), which fights against the unjust displacement of local inhabitants and damage to the environment on account of the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river. Narmada Bachao Andolan, together with Patkar and Baba Amte as its spokespersons, was the 1991 recipient of the Right Livelihood Award^[10] The Narmada River in central India The Narmada (Gujarati: નર્મદા Devanagri: नर्मदा or Nerbudda (Narbada) is a river in central India in Indian subcontinent. ... Medha Patkar (Marathi:मेधा पाटकर, born December 1, 1954) is a social activist from India. ... Narmada Bachao Andolan logo Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) (Save Narmada Movement) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that mobilised tribal people, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada river, Gujarat, India. ... Narmada may refer to: Narmada River of central India Narmada district of Gujarat, India also refers to Indian girl names which means One who arouses tender feelings in others narm literaly means tender Category: ... The Narmada Dam Project, known officially as the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), is a project involving the construction of a series of large hydroelectric dams on the Narmada River in India. ... Jakob von Uexkull, founder of the Right Livelihood Award The Right Livelihood Award, established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, is presented annually in the building of the Swedish Parliament, usually on December 9, to honour those working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the...

Death

Baba Amte had not been keeping well for several years in his later life. He was compelled to lie down on a bed for much of the time due to a severe spondylosis condition. In 2007, he was diagnosed with leukemia. Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, white; aima αίμα, blood) is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation (production by multiplication) of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes). ...

Baba Amte died in Anandwan on February 9th, 2008 at 4.15 am. As per his last wish, he was buried and not cremated. The crematorium at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, England. ...

Upon his death, the 14^th Dalai Lama, among others, expressed his condolences saying, "His 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".^[11]. Tenzin Gyatso is the fourteenth and current Dalai Lama. ...

Honours and Awards

Baba Amte won numerous awards during his life, most notably the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1985. He was chosen for his work-oriented rehabilitation of Indian leprosy patients and other handicapped outcasts.^[12] In 1999, he was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for his exemplary work for treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients and his concept of the "Shramik Vidyapeeth" (Workers' University) where patients and volunteers work together. The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) based in New York City. ... The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded anually by the government of India for outstanding work and contribution to social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. ...

All monetary proceeds from his awards were used for his social projects^[13]

International Awards

• Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, Philippines, 1985
• Damien-Dutton Award, USA, 1983: Highest international award in the field of leprosy
• United Nations Human Rights Prize, 1988: For outstanding achievement in the field of human rights (to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
• International Giraffe Award, USA, 1989
• The Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, USA, 1990
• Global 500, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), 1991: The Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement
• The Right Livelihood Award, Sweden, 1991 (often described as the "alternative Nobel prize",^[14][15] jointly awarded to Baba Amte and Medha Patkar for the Narmada Bachao Andolan):"...for their inspired opposition to the disastrous Narmada Valley dams project and their promotion of alternatives designed to benefit the poor and the environment"

The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) based in New York City. ... The United Nations Prizes in the Field of Human Rights were instituted by a General Assembly resolution in 1966. ... The Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities was until 2001 awarded for Progress in Religion. ... Jakob von Uexkull, founder of the Right Livelihood Award The Right Livelihood Award, established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, is presented annually in the building of the Swedish Parliament, usually on December 9, to honour those working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the... The Nobel Prize (Swedish: ) was established in Alfred Nobels will in 1895, and it was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901. ... Medha Patkar (Marathi:मेधा पाटकर, born December 1, 1954) is a social activist from India. ... Narmada Bachao Andolan logo Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) (Save Narmada Movement) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that mobilised tribal people, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada river, Gujarat, India. ... The Narmada or Nerbudda is a river in central India. ...

Awarded by the Government of India

• Padma Shree, 1971^[16]
• Padma Vibhushan, 1986
• Welfare of the Disabled Award, 1986
• Gandhi Peace Prize, 1999
• Dr. Ambedkar International Award for Social Change, 1999: In recognition of outstanding work done in pursuing the cause of the exploited and the underprivileged, reconciling differences among conflicting social groups and contributing significantly to social change

Padma Shri (variously spelled Padma Shree, Padma Sree and Padma Sri) is an award given by the Government of India (generally to Indian citizens). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded anually by the government of India for outstanding work and contribution to social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. ...

Other Awards

• Dalit Mitra Award, 1974: Government of Maharashtra
• Rashtriya Bhushan (Pride of the Nation), 1978: F.I.E. (India) Foundation
• Jamnalal Bajaj Award, 1979
• 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
• Mahdeo Balwant Natu Puraskar, 1991, Pune, Maharashtra
• Adivasi Sewak Award, 1991, Government of Maharashtra
• Kusumagraj Puraskar, 1991
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Dalit Mitra Award, 1992, Government of Maharashtra
• Shri Nemichand Shrishrimal Award, 1994
• Fr. Tong Memorial Award, 1995, Voluntary Health Association of India
• Kushta Mitra Puraskar, 1995: Vidarbha Maharogi Sewa Mandal, Amravati, Maharashtra
• Bhai Kanhaiya Award, 1997: Sri Guru Harkrishan Education Trust, Bhatinda, Punjab
• Manav Sewa Award, 1997: Young Men’s Gandhian Association, Rajkot, Gujarat
• Sarthi Award, 1997, Nagpur, Maharashtra
• Mahatma Gandhi Charitable Trust Award, 1997, Nagpur, Maharashtra
• Gruhini Sakhi Sachiv Puraskar, 1997, Gadima Pratishthan, Maharashtra
• Kumar Gandharva Puraskar, 1998
• Apang Mitra Puraskar, 1998, Helpers of the Handicapped, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
• Bhagwan Mahaveer Award, 1998, Chennai
• Diwaliben Mohanlal Mehta Award, 1998, Mumbai
• Justice K. S. Hegde Award, 1998, Karnataka
• Baya Karve Award, 1998, Pune, Maharashtra
• Savitribai Phule Award, 1998, Government of Maharashtra
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Award, 1988: FICCI, for outstanding achievements in training and placement of disabled persons.
• Satpaul Mittal Award, 1998, Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust, Ludhiana, Punjab
• Adivasi Sevak Puraskar, 1998, Government of Maharashtra.
• Bharathvasa award,2008

Honorary Distinctions

• D.Litt., 1980: Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
• Krishi Ratna, 1981: Hon. Doctorate, PKV Agricultural University, Akola, Maharashtra, India
• D.Litt., 1985-86: Poona University, Pune, India
• Desikottam, 1988: Hon. Doctorate, Vishwabharati, Shanti Niketan, West Bengal, India

Quotes

"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."^[17] - 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 the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Narmada Bachao Andolan logo Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) (Save Narmada Movement) is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that mobilised tribal people, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada river, Gujarat, India. ...

References

External links

• Baba Amte & Sadhnatai Amte
• Maharogi Sewa Samiti
• Wisdom Song, life of Baba Amte
• Inspiring Quotes of Baba Amte
• Baba Amte
• Take Heart India
• Throwing away the crutches
• Love in the time of want
• After 50 years what democracy is this?
• Handcrafted greeting cards made by residents of Anandwan