BABA AMTE – A SOCIAL REFORMER

Murlidhar Devidas Amte was born on 26 December 1914 in Maharashtra, India. He was popularly known as Baba Amte, an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy (skin, membrane, and nerve disease). He was a non-violent man who was inspired by the Gandhian principles. Therefore, Amte used non-violent ways to fight the government during the struggle for independence.

Baba Amte also worked as a defense lawyer for imprisoned leaders of the Quit India Moment in 1942. He started movements like Maharogi Seva Samiti and Anandawan. Some awards he received include the United Nations Human Rights Award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padma Vibhushan, Damien-Dutton Award (the highest international award in the field of leprosy).

“I was charging Rs 50 for arguing for 15 minutes while a labourer was getting only three-quarters of a rupee for 12 hours of toil. That was what was eating into me,” Amte once said. He saved and changed the lives of many people. There is a popular saying by Baba Amte: “I don’t want to be a great leader; I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-coloured robes. The mechanic with the oilcan: that is my ideal in life.”

This was my entry for a project on lesser-known social activists conducted at school many years back. Hope you found the above short article informative to read. A new sci-fi story coming soon! 😀

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