baba amte: my hero in public health

7/25/2019 Baba Amte: My Hero in Public Health

1/23

Baba Amte

an introduction to

the man and his

work

My hero in Public Health:

compiled by : Pankaj Sadaphal


2/23

Royal Beginnings

Born: 26th December 1914 at Wardha,

Maharashtra, India

Eldest son of a wealthy Brahmin family

Studied in a Christian convent at Nagpur

In his youth, given to hunting, cinema,

wrestling,fancy pinstripe suits, fast cars,

drinking beer and smoking.

Took up an assignment as a movie critic, had

regular correspondence with Norma Shearer,

Greta Garbo.


3/23

The young monk-

lawyer

Wanted to become a doctor, lost a major

battle with his father

Took a law degree in 1936.

Family mentioned matrimony - became a

sadhu, complete with matted locks and

saffron robes!

Turned to Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave,Rabindranath Tagore: worked with Gandhi

for a short while.

Imprisoned for organizing lawyers to

represent jailed leaders during the Quit India

movement (1942).

Returned to his village often during the period

of political upheaval.


4/23

Feelings of

discomfort

There is a certain callousness in families like

mine. They put up strong barriers so as not to seethe misery in the world outside, and I rebelled

against it

Harijans not allowed to draw water from the

well on the estate.Opened the well to Harijans amidst bitter

opposition. Began to eat with his servants, dig

wells for them.

I, who had never planted a single seed in the

estate, was expected to enjoy the comfort of a

beautiful farm house, while those who had toiled

there all their lives had only the meanest levels.


5/23

Fifty rupees for 15

minutes?

Citizens of Warora elected him Vice

President of the Municipality.

Set up a flourishing law practice in Warora

town.

I was charging fifty rupees, arguing in court

for 15 minutes, while a labourer was getting

only three quarters of a rupee after toiling for

twelve hours.


6/23

The silent partner

In 1946, at a wedding, saw Indu

Ghuleshastri.slip away to help an

overburdened serving woman..I thought no ordinary Brahmin girl would

stoop to washing other peoples clothes when she

could have been enjoying herself. And, suddenly,

something inside me stirred.

To Indus mother, he said: I have found a

man for your daughter, and I am giving up my

vow of celibacy

What has one to do with the other?

The man is mesaid Amte.


7/23

The work camp

Renounced his law practice and family

wealth.

With support of his wife, started aShrama

Ashram or Work Camp, for inter-caste living

and manual labor.

Kept his post as vice president of theMunicipal Corporation.

Elected as President of the Scavengers Union

of Warora.

Night soil carriers went on strike, demandinghigher wages. They expressed doubts about

Amte being able to understand their plight.

Amte cleaned the towns latrines for a period

of nine months to get first hand experience.


8/23

A living corpse

While returning from work on a cold rainynight in winter, he saw a bundle of rags lying

by the side of the road in a gutter.

A man in the ultimate stages of leprosy. A

rotting mass of human flesh, with two holes in

place of a nose, without a trace of fingers or

toes, with worms and sores where there had

been eye sockets.

Amte turned and fled..


9/23

Fear? - A period of

turmoil

Restlessness for six months.

Ended in a decision to devote his life to the

service of leprosy patients.

I had never been frightened by anything.

Because I fought British Tommies to save the

honor of an Indian lady, Gandhi called me

Abhay Sadhak, a fearless seeker of truth. Whenthe sweepers in Warora challenged me to clean

gutters, I did so.

But that same person who fought goondas and

British bandits quivered in fright when he saw

the living corpse of Tulshiram with maggots

all over. That is why I took up leprosy work. Not

to help anyone, but to overcome the fear in my

life..That it worked out good to others, was a by-

product.


10/23

A direction for

work

Went to work at the Warora Leprosy Clinic.1949: Enrolled at the Calcutta School of Tropical

Medicine to study leprosy.

Returned and negotiated with the state

government for land on which to start a farm-

cum-leprosarium.

1950-51: Granted fifty acres of rock strewn scrub

jungle on the outskirts of Warora.

Founded theMaharogi Sewa Samiti(Committee

for the Service of Lepers)

Ostracized by citizens of Warora for more than

ten years


11/23

The birth of

Anandwan

Outcaste land for outcaste men

Initial Assets:

Fourteen Rupees

A cow

Six leprosy patients

A wife

Two sons

Named the place: Anandwan : Forest of Joy

.started digging a well


12/23

Teething problems

An intense phase of manual labor to clear land,

develop the farm, dress wounds of the leprosy

patients, maintain farm accounts, tryestablishing liason with the wary townfolk.

Amte and his wife did dressing, cooking and

manual labor on the farm. Later they were

able to train a few cured leprosy patients inwound dressing and farming skills.

Farm produce rejected by the township for the

better part of the 1950s - till a Service Civil

International Camp was held at Anandwan

(1959) which was attended by fifty

international volunteers - most of them

foreigners. This was the first major visit of

people from outside Anandwan.


13/23

A complete village

Gradually, Amte was able to establish a

viable center for rehabilitation and

treatment of leprosy patients, which

included a clinic and two large hospital

wards.

The farm began to register profits at the

local markets, which were ploughed backinto development. All leprosy patients

were involved in activity at the farm or in

the house work; in return, they were

provided basic amenities including food.

As news of the facility spread, there

began an influx of patients seeking

treatment and rehabilitation at the

center.


14/23

Giving to Society

In 1964, a college of agriculture, arts

and sciences was built by the cured

leprosy patients of Anandwan without

any external technical or financial

support.This college was gifted to the

healthy people of Warora by the patients.

Amte thus proved that leprosy patients,

rather than being at the receiving end of

society, had much to offer to it.


15/23

Baba Amte - the

contractor

Charity destroys, work buildsis themotto at Anandwan.

1967: Granted 1300 acres of land, 100 km

south of Anandwan by the Government for

farming work involving rehabilitated

leprosy patients. Amte started a Workers

University to train young students and

cured patients in farming and other skills.

1968-69:Sandhi Niketan, Home of

Opportunity was opened at Anandwan toprovide vocational training for

handicapped individuals.


16/23

A family

commitment

1972: Both sons (Vikas and Prakash)

completed Medical training (MBBS) at

Nagpur. Prakash trained as a surgeon.

1973: Vikas and Prakash, along with their

wives (both doctors), made a declaration to

dedicate their lives to social service, and

joined Baba in his work.

1974: Baba inaugurated a new project for

community development in the tribals of

central India, calledLok Biradari Prakalp

(Peoples Brotherhood Project), located

about 200 miles south east of Anandwan.Prakash and his wife Mandakini decided to

join this project.


17/23

Anandwan: current

status

GeneralHospital

Colleges

Schools (Blind,deaf-mute,handicapped)

Sandhi Niketan

Home forSenior Citizens(Uttarayan)

CommunityNursery

Sneh Savli(Home ofaffection)

Agriculture:300 acres

Agro-industry(dairy, poultry)

Agro-forestry

Horticulture,

floriculture,

sericulture


18/23

Other projects: an

update

Somnath(1967)- 1300 acres,intensive modern

farming, 500 inmates

(cured patients).

Ashokwan(1957): 100 acresfarmland. 70 inmates.Treatment andrehabilitation of leprosypatients

Nagepalli

(1973):base camp

for tribal project. 20acres. 5 staff members.

Agriculture, primaryhealth care facility.

Lok BiradariPrakalp,Hemalkasa.

Chain of projects in aremote tribal district.

20 bed cottage hospitaland outpatient clinic.

Residential school fortribal children (strength850).

Agricultural training totribals.

`Conscientization:awareness of social

rights. Animal orphanage.


19/23

The Tribal challenge

On many of his childhood hunting

expeditions,

Amte found himself attracted to thesimplicity of tribals in Central India:

their poverty, hunger and disease was in

stark contrast to their cheerfulness and

friendliness.

Amte resolved to work in future for

their social upliftment.

In 1973 when the Government of

Maharashtra agreed to donate land in

Gadchiroli (formerly Chandrapur)

District for the purpose. Amte

christened the projectLok Biradari

(Peoples Brotherhood).


20/23

The philosophy

Not refuse treatment or shelter to anyindividual.

Everyone is given work and expected tolabor according to his capacity.

No place for free-riders who live off thecommon efforts, without contributing to it.

Essentials of living (food, accommodation)provided free of charge to all inmates.

Dining at large community halls andkitchens.

An informal work structure: sharing ofresponsibility

..if you have lost some fingers, make gooduse of those you still have


21/23

Amtes favourites...

We must havesufficiency for allbefore we have

superfluity for some

Charity destroys,work builds

Joy is moreinfectious thandisease in

Anandwan A man can live

without fingers, buthe cannot livewithout self-respect

It is easy to die foryour principles, but it

is more difficult tolive for yourprinciples.

It is strange thatman seeks sublime

inspiration intemples, mosques,churches butseeks none in theruins of manG.K. Chesterton

I sought my soul,my soul I could notsee

I sought my God,my God eluded me

I sought my

brother, and foundall the three

(Anonymous)


22/23

Awards...

Damien DuttonAward (1983)

MagsaysayAward (1985)

U.N. HumanRights Award(1988)

The TempletonPrize (1990) U.S.$684,000 shared with

Prof. Charles Birch

InternationalGiraffe Award(1990)

U.N. Global 500Award (1991)

RightLivelihoodAward(Sweden,1992).


23/23

A hero in Public

health?

Creative humanism

Go in search of your people.Love them

Learn from them

Plan with them

Serve them

Begin with what they know

Build on what they have

Laozi (500 B.C.)

baba amte: my hero in public health

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