Baba Amte
I felt that people of Baba Amte’s calibre are so rare in our world and yet provide such an inspiration to us all that it is important that their stories should be told “a man who has consistently put others before himself; a living example of true compassion in action.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama, about Baba Amte on November 16, 2004
Baba Amte one of the India’s most prolific social worker passed away today. He has been active on various social fronts for last 50 years. In Maharashtra, he has been operating world’s largest leprosarium where he has been working to provide leprosy and handicapped persons a sense of dignity and self worth. “Work Builds, Charity Destroys” his teachings have been inspiring many others.
http://www.takeheartindia.org/about.htm
Murlidhar Devidas Amte aka Baba Amte (born December 26, 1914-died February 08, 2008), or Baba Amte, as he is fondly known, was born in Hinganghat located in Wardha District of Maharashtra state of India. He was from a wealthy family of jagirdars. Trained in law, Baba Amte started a lucrative practice at Warora but, moved by the poverty he saw around him, he decided to dedicate himself to social justice. One of India’s most revered social and moral leaders, Baba Amte has devoted his life to the care and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, even allowing his body to be used for experiments to grow leprosy germs. His community development project at Anandwan (Forest of Bliss) near Nagpur in Maharashtra, India, is recognised and respected around the world and has done much to dispel prejudice against leprosy victims. Baba Amte also launched the Bharat Jodo (Unite India) movements from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 1985 and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh in 1988, with the mission of establishing peace and raising environmental consciousness. In 1990, Baba Amte left Anandwan to live along the Narmada river to fight against social injustice to local inhabitants. Although he continues to support the movement for rehabilitation of tribals affected by the construction of large dams on the Narmada, he has recently returned to Anandwan for health reasons. Baba Amte died at his ‘Anandvan’ ashram in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra on Feb 08,2008. He was 94.
Baba has been recognized internationally, receiving such awards as the Gandhi peace prize, the Templeton prize (The Nobel prize for religion) and the U.N. Human Rights award. List of more Awards
To read more about Maharogi Sewa Samiti and Projects of Baba Amte,visit the website
Some inspirational quotes of Baba Amte:
- Give them a chance not charity.
- Anandwan-A mat spread for creative humanity in one of the darkest & loneliest corner of the globe
- Happiness dies when it is not shared.
Find some more inspirational quotes here
http://www.takeheartindia.org/baba_quotes.htm