centre for education & documentation-critical concerns:feb08

A Dedication
BABA AMTE
(1914 - 2008)

"Carry your ideals before you like banners;
it is not enough to put them on pedestals.
Ideals which grip the masses
prove to be a mighty force.

Their force is stronger than the hope of earthly gain
and
they are more productive of real wealth.

Nationalized ownership that throttles all creative effort,
will no more be the test of revolution.
Participation in decision-making
will stimulate workers to greater efforts
and
common ownership will be the aim."

Baba Amte

To Some, Baba Amte was a poet and a prophet. To others a crusader. But to the thousands at Anandwan, he was a Mother

-by Rajini Bakshi

A braveheart with broken dreams
The Times of India, Mumbai,
10 February 2008

Beyond rejection by relatives, friends and society, to rebuild one's life and a community based on hard work and dignity - that's the essence of Amte's Anandwan.

-by Neeta Deshpande

Living with dignity
The Hindu, Chennai,
24 February 2008

" I took up leprosy work not to help anyone", Baba Amte later claimed, "but to overcome that fear in my life. That it worked good for others was a by-product."

-by LC Jain

Baba Amte: Riding sports car to serving lepers ,
The Deccan Herald, Bangalore,
14 February 2008

While paying tribute to one who is definitely one of our heroes, we look at the issues of activism today - who, and what type of people are todays heroes.. many of whom we don't even know. We also look at some news stories, where these heroes have been sidelined, some even branded as terrorist, by an establishment which has become increasingly intolerant, and impatient to anyone who opposes its destructive policies.

"The War-cry will no more be with Marx and Mao: the spirit of revenge cannot build a new world.

Only a revolution which leads to a higher sense of human dignity can lead to a higher and nobler way of life.

Revolutions based on hatred and violence do not really change the situation. They merely transform the people who had been exploited into a new class of exploiters but hatred and exploitation remain.

Therefore, there is no substitute for Gandhi's way of rousing the impvoerished masses to creative awareness".

Baba Amte

Stand and deliver
R. Prasannan,
The Week Magazine,
24 February 2008

The man who gave us a chance
Harsh Mander,
The Hindustan Times, New Delhi,
13 February 2008

Modern day Gandhian
The Business Standard, Mumbai,
10 February 2008

What better way then to remember Baba Amte than to highlight the efforts of NEW ACTIVISTS who have followed the Gandhi's way of rousing the impoverished masses to creative awareness..