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1914 • 2008
Gandhiji described him as ‘abhaysadhak’ (fearless). He once allowed bacilli from
a leprosy patient to be injected into him for further tests |
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Nagpur,
Feb 9: The mortal remains of noted social activist and Magsaysay award
winner Murlidhar Devidas Amte, fondly known as Baba Amte, will be laid
to rest Sunday morning, family sources said.
Amte
(94) breathed his last at around 4.15 am at Anandvan Ashram, the abode
for leprosy patients, in Warora taluka of Chandrapur district
in Maharashtra, his eldest son Dr. Vikas Amte said.
Amte’s
daughter Sheetal was in Sri Lanka and was to return on Saturday,
after which all the family members will decide upon whether he should
cremated or buried, Vikas said.
Baba
had earlier expressed his desire that his body be buried instead of
being cremated, he added. One of the country’s most respected social
leaders, Amte devoted his life to the care and rehabilitation of leprosy
patients. At a time when society shunned leprosy-affected people, Amte
opened Anandvan Ashram in Warora and some social welfare projects in
Somnath and Hemalkasa in nearby Chandrapur district A committed Gandhian,
he also lent his voice to struggles like the one against the Narmada project.
Condolences
poured from all quarters with President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh describing him as a “saint” and a “Gandhian of
our times”.
PTI |
