Posted On: 2024-02-09 10:20:49
On December 26, 1914, Murlidhar Devidas Amte aka Baba Amte was born in the city of Hinganghat in Maharashtra. He came from a wealthy background, with his father being a colonial government officer working for the district administration and revenue collection departments of the British Indian government. Baba Amte grew up like any wealthy child as he was given a Singer Sports Car with cushions covered in panther skin.
Despite being from an affluent family, Baba Amte was aware of class inequality. Saying "There is a certain callousness in families like my family, They put up strong barriers so as to avoid seeing the misery in the outside world and I rebelled against it.”
He soon became involved with the Indian Independence Movement, using his skills as a lawyer to defend Indian leaders imprisoned by the colonial government for their involvement in the Quit India movement. When Mahatma Gandhi found out that Baba Amte defended an Indian woman from lewd taunts of British soldiers, he gave Amte the title of Abhay Sadhak (Fearless Seeker of Truth).
But his life changed when he came across a leprosy patient named Tulshiram. He became committed to creating a society free from the stigma of Leprosy. He injected himself with the bacilli of a leprosy patient to prove that leprosy is not highly contagious. Baba Amte also provided vocational training and small-scale manufacturing of handicrafts for the rehabilitated and cured patients of leprosy.
Baba Amte founded three ashrams for the treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, disabled people and people from marginalised sections of general society in Maharashtra. On 15 August 1949, he and his wife Sadhna Amte started a leprosy hospital in Anandvan under a tree. Along with medical care, the patients found themselves living a life of dignity, being engaged in agriculture and various small and medium industries like handicrafts.
Baba Amte was also involved in other causes. He founded the Lok Biradari Prakalp, a social project involving a hospital, a school and an animal orphanage, which still runs to this day. It was started for the development of people from the Madia Gond tribe. Baba Amte walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, a distance of 2,809 km to inspire unity.
On 9th February, 2008, Baba Amte passed away at Anandwan in Maharashtra due to age-related illnesses at the age of 93.
His work and legacy are still being carried by his sons, Vikas Amte and Prakash Amte, and daughters-in-law, Mandakini and Bharati, all of whom are trained doctors.
Prakash Amte and his wife Mandakini run a school and a hospital at Hemalkasa village in the underprivileged district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra as well as an orphanage for injured wild animals, including a lion and some leopards. Their sons (Dr. Digant and Aniket), Baba Amte’s grandchildren, are also involved in the same causes.
Amte's elder son Vikas and his wife Bharati run the hospital at Anandwan. Anandwan has a university, an orphanage, and schools for the blind and the deaf.
Child Help Foundation is greatly inspired by the works of Baba Amte. Taking inspiration from him, Child Help Foundation has dedicated its resources to positively impact the lives of 46,58,052 people.
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AUTHOR: Adil Sayyad
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