Dr Murlidhar Devidas Amte popularly known as Baba Amte, was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy. And this was at the time when leprosy was associated with social stigma and the society disowned people suffering from leprosy.
Trained in law, he developed a successful legal practice at Wardha. He soon got involved in the Indian struggle for freedom from the British Raj, and started acting as a defense lawyer for leaders of the Indian freedom movement whom the British authorities had imprisoned in the 1942 Quit India movement. He spent some time at Sevagram ashram of Mahatma Gandhi, and became a follower of Gandhism for the rest of his life.
After marriage, Baba Amte started working for those struck by leprosy outside Warora. He set up 11 weekly clinics around Warora and later started Anandwan, where they dug the lower depths of the earth in temperatures as high as 47 degrees before they found water. He took a formal course for leprosy treatment and even allowed his body to be used for an experiment to grow leprae germs. As it was ineffective, the experiment was abandoned later.
In those days, leprosy was associated with social stigma and the society disowned people suffering from leprosy. There was also a widespread misbelief that leprosy was contagious. Amte strove to dispel the misbelief and once allowed bacilli from a leprosy patient to be injected into him while participating in an experimental test aimed at proving that leprosy was not contagious.
Amte found three ashrams for treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, disabled people, and people from marginalized sections of the society in Maharashtra, India. On 15 August 1949, he started a hospital in Anandwan under a tree. In 1973, Amte founded the Lok Biradari Prakalp to work for the Madia Gond tribal people of Gadchiroli District.
Anandwan was registered in 1951 and more land was given by the government. Two hospitals, a university, an orphanage, a school for the blind and technical wings were added subsequently. The ashram is now a self sufficient unit and more than 5,000 people are dependent on it for their livelihood.
Baba Amte also launched two Bharat Jodo, Knit India movements from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 1985 and Assam and Gujarat in 1988. His aim was to establish peace and generate environmental awareness.
HELPING a person who is suffering from "LEPROSY".
The great man in the image below is BABA AMTE who spent his whole life helping such people without any expectations.
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