Baba Amte (Muralidhar Devidas Amte)
Dr.
Muralidhar Devidas Amte is the real name of Lt. Baba Amte. He was born
on 26th December, 1914. Out of love, people used to call him Baba Amte.
He was one of the greatest social worker, social activist and social
reformer. He was given the name ‘Abhay Sadhak’ (a fearless follower) by
Gandhiji as he protected a girl from being raped. He hailed from a well
settled family and he himself was well-off too. Then what made him go
towards the way of social work? His inner voice pulled him and he could
not resist working for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people
suffering from leprosy.
Childhood
Baba
Amte was worn in the Wardha District, Maharashtra to Mr. Devidas and
Mrs. Laxmibai Amte. Being the eldest siblings of all, he was given
‘baba’ (elder brother) as his pet name. He had a very mirthful
childhood. By the time he was fourteen, he owned a gun and hunted boar
and deer.
Education
He
was trained in law at Wardha and practiced the same. He became
successful in the profession too. Soon Baba Amte was influenced by
Mahatma Gandhi’s ideologies and started contributing towards Indian
freedom struggle and started acting as a defense lawyer for people who
were imprisoned by British authorities during Quit India Movement in
1942.
Career
After
his struggle for freedom of India, Baba Amte devoted his entire life
towards the care of patients of leprosy and often allowed scientists to
use his body as a medium to carry experiment to grow germs. During 1959,
he started three medical ashrams to treat such patients. He carried out
his own social project in the state of Maharashtra to stop injustice
against leprosy patients. Also, in the year 1985, Baba started ‘Bharat
Jodo’ campaign from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal
Pradesh in the year 1988. He wanted to reinstate peace and create
environmental awareness.
At the End
In
1990, Baba Amte joined hands with Medha Patkar for “Narmada Bachao”
(Save River Narmada) movement, opposing the unplanned construction of
Sardar Sarovar dam. Later he shifted to live near Narmada only till he
died. He died on February 9, 2008.
Awards and Recognition
Baba
Amte was conferred the Civilian award – Padma Shree in the year 1971
and Padma Vibhushan in the year 1986. The Welfare of the Disabled award
was presented to him in the year 1986 and Gandhi Peace Prize in 1999.
Among the host of international awards Baba Amte got were Damien-Dutton
Award in 1983, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1985.
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