Baba Amte :Easy Biography, Life History “Baba Amte”
Baba Amte: Baba AmteOne of India’s most revered social and moral leaders, Baba Amte had 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 is recognised and respected around the world.
Baba Amte: The Inspiration for Millions
Murlidhar Devidas Amte, fondly called as Baba Amte – the patron of Anandwan, was born a day after Christmas in 1914, to a wealthy landowner. His father had every possible luxury, money could buy.
When he was fourteen, Baba claimed his own weapon and chased pig and deer. He built up an uncommon enthusiasm for film, composed audits for the film magazine, The Picture Goer and even compared with Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer.
Baba Amte’s tryst with the sorrow, pain and diseases began in the tiny village of Warora, in Central India. All around him were the leprosy patients in utter squalor and neglect.
Diseases in those days were like flashing Neon billboards of Times Square, for which there were no definite remedy. Leprosy, tuberculosis, cholera, etc. were the foremost in raising the mortality rate.
Baba firmly believed the importance of Human rights.He used to say “A person can live without fingers, but he cannot live without self respect”.In order to cater to the larger segment of the society, Baba formed the Maharogi Sewa Samiti in 1951.
Having associated with Mahatma Gandhi, Baba often used to speak about his untiring effort towards the leprosy patients as “Leprosy Work is not merely a medical work; It is transforming Irustration into the joy of dedication, personal ambition to self service”. His ideas are crystal clear when it comes to the upliftment of the lepers and weaker strata of the society.
Soon the news spread like a bushfire and lepers from near and far started pouring into Anandwan. Around 1951, with the discovery of the wonder drug DDS, the face of Leprosy treatment changed forever. With excellent cure rate and sincere nursing, soon the patients were on path to fall recovery.
Baba Amte Biography
During those times, the social scenario was not conducive for the Tapers to get back into the social bandwagon. The rejected lepers finally found solace in Anandwan, the one which guarded their dignity and pride.
They proved once again by contributing to the successful small scale industry that indeed they are talented and gifted. The inmates with words of encouragement from Baba soon began manufacturing things needed for the nearby markets. Handicrafts, machines, footwear, clothes and many other products slowly started Hokling out of the small scale industries of Anandwan.
Deeply disturbed by the communal and separatist strife, he plunged into his maiden effort of curbing the sad scenario by jaunching the “Knit India Movement”.
His rendezvous with the oppressed people continued inspite of the poor response from the government. His lonely crusade brought him to the banks of river, Narmada.
The protest was against the huge World Bank funded dam, in Gujarat which in due course of time, was to bring a sizeable area of land under water and displace the local tribal community who have been residing in the areas for generations.
He was a recipient of many national and international awards. The notable amongst which are Damien – Dutton Award USA in 1983 , The Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1985, The United Nations Human Rights Prize in 1988, International Giraffe Award in 1989 , The Templeton Award in 1990, The Padmashree, The Padma Vibhushan, The Gandhi Peace Prize, Dr Ambedkar International Award and many more.
Baba Amte passed away on February 9, 2008. The end came at his own commune for leprosy patients ‘Anandvan’ at Warora village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
