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.
RE:His Greatness
by vijayan vasudevan on Feb 09, 2008 12:18 PM Permalink
ALLOWING SOMEONE OWN BODY FOR MEDICAL TEST THAT TOO FOR LEPROSY!!!! I bow down to you on behalf my country men. Bharat mata ki jai. Long live hindus
BABA AMTE was a rare example of social activist who guided all our so called leaders and us to know the true world far away from our happy go lucky life. We even could not think of doing our self what he has achived. My salute to this great saint of all times.
Someone truly said here about the hypocrisy of media and so called NATIONAL leaders regarding evaluating people and events.what a pity that a social reformer like baba was not given his due in his lifetime from both these segments.Look what they r going to do-they will give some big award,name a school/college/road/area etc. ,condole to family or at most some visits...this will not be a tribute to that saint. A good tribute will be to include baba,his work and values in national mainstream through educational institutions,moral education books and initiating a drive to pick good willing people from remote villages and towns to raise an army of dedicated social workers-an army/party that Gandhiji wanted to convert congress into after partition. I have been to BABA's ashram before and seen the masterpiece that great artist has created in his lifetime.Salute to the great reformer,activist and saint of our times.May his values and grit prevail over all youths. chandan
these days when all are only selfish and misery, it is difficult to believe that a man like us sacrificed his life for others. why not consider him for bharat rathna? If he is not, then who else is more deserving?
RE:bharat rathna
by Satish Sasikumar on Feb 09, 2008 11:54 AM Permalink
it is sad that the Govt. is busy thinking to give away this award to politicians and now we may have to give it to one posthumously
RE:bharat rathna
by Mukund Nadgowda on Feb 09, 2008 11:56 AM Permalink
God has long back stopped creating such saints ! The generations to come will not find any of these.
baba amte's demise is a great loss to the nation and a mankind. he was the person who rehabilitated the leprosy paitents. he made them capable to live with respest and dignity. I really salute to this person for devoting his whole life for the social cause, which is seen very rarely these days.it is great loss to humanity.we need such people to guide our society. Lives of great men all remind us, We can make our lives sublime. And departing leave behind us, Footprints on the sands of time.
I recall a Day at IIT, Delhi some 23-24 years ago. I was told that Baba Amte on his way to Bharat Jodo yatra would be visiting. A handful of people not more than 100 were awaiting him. Arun Shourie was amongst us. A very non-descript type, stern faced man in a hand stiched khadi half-pant and baniyan appeared on the scene half an hour later alongwith some workers and activists. To me it was very un-impressive show of a Bharat Yatra. Suddenly I noticed Arun Shorie, the then chief editor of Indian Express in Baba's feet. This was the time when the news paper and it's editor were confronting the 'darling dreaming young Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi'. I followed Shorie in the flow and touched the feet of 'the Saint of untouchable leprosy patients'. I have never seen Gandhiji. Through Baba Amte, I could know what Gandhiji was.
RE:ARUN SHORIE touching BABA AMTE'S FEET
by priyvrat kohar on Feb 09, 2008 01:13 PM Permalink
that is touching! i heard a lot about this man as i worked for a social organisation but never got the opportunity to meet him. now i realise what i have missed?
